PINOT PEER PRESSURE –
Jan. 2, 2023 – Sobriety is having its moment. “Sober-curious” or “mindful drinking” are now familiar phrases; Sober October and Dry January are popular trends. Whereas problematic drinking used to be hushed or relegated to the edges of polite conversation, confined to anonymous meetings often held in church basements, abstaining from alcohol is increasingly destigmatized. But it still requires a willingness to go against the grain.
The country singer-songwriter Margo Price published an essay in GQ in March 2021 about her decision to quit drinking after one too many stressors caused by the pandemic, including her canceled tours. Relying on alcohol to assuage the brunt of cyberbullying or the uncertainties of a musical career was no longer cutting it. She wrote that while she believed she was in control of her alcohol use and had the intention of taking a sustained break from drinking, after reading Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker she decided to quit for good in January 2021.
