NPR

Breaking The Booze Habit, Even Briefly, Has Its Benefits

Tens of thousands of Instagram followers can't be wrong: Curiosity about the sober life is trending. Scientists say cutting out alcohol can improve your sleep and blood pressure, and help your liver.
Chris Marshall has organized pop-up Sans Bars in New York, Washington, D.C., and Anchorage. And he's expanded into permanent spaces in Kansas City, Mo., and western Massachusetts.

At 8 p.m. on a Saturday night, people are starting to pack into a popular bar called Harvard & Stone in an East Los Angeles neighborhood. The chatter gets louder as the booze begins to flow.

In the far corner, a group of about a dozen women are clearly enjoying themselves, too, but they are not drinking alcohol. They're sipping handcrafted mocktails, with names like Baby's First Bourbon and Honey Dew Collins, featuring non-alcoholic distilled spirits.

They're part of a sober social club, made up mostly of women in their 30s who want to have fun and make friends without alcohol.

The members of this club work out, have demanding jobs, and simply don't want to feel foggy or hungover anymore. Without alcohol, they say, they just feel better.

"Oh my gosh. Well, one thing that was noticeable to pretty much everybody was

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
A Hidden Danger In Gaza; A Haitian Gang Leader Speaks Up
Even if Israel and Gaza agree to a cease-fire, unexploded ordnance could continue to kill and maim Palestinians in Gaza for years. A Haitian gang leader says he's ready for a long fight.
NPR2 min read
Flash Floods Have Killed More Than 300 People In Afghanistan
Floods from heavy seasonal rains have destroyed over 1,000 houses, the U.N. food agency said. A U.N. official said the floods are a reminder of Afghanistan's vulnerability to the climate crisis.
NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Federal Prosecutors Request 40-year Sentence For Man Who Attacked Pelosi's Husband
Prosecutors are asking a judge to impose a 40-year prison sentence for the man who broke into ex-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home seeking to hold her hostage and attacked her husband.

Related Books & Audiobooks