ANY DECREASE IS A WIN –

March 10, 2021 – At the beginning of the global pandemic, uncorking a bottle of wine seemed to be the thing to do. A grip on a champagne stem felt like a grip on life, virtual happy hours were all the rage and there were plenty of memes about drinking making the rounds. But a year into quarantine, Dry January has come and gone, yet evidence suggests sobriety is sticking around. 

And it’s not just those who struggle with alcoholism who have embraced a sober lifestyle. There’s a growing group of people that are becoming sober or significantly cutting back on drinking to improve their health and well-being. Just ask Chrissy Teigen, for one.  

In fact, sales of non-alcoholic beverages at retail locations like grocery, liquor and convenience stores, continue to rise, according to NielsenIQ. As of late February, dollar sales of non-alcoholic beer were up 39% over last year; plus sales of non-alcoholic wine were up 34%. Meanwhile, online marketplace Etsy saw a 205% rise in searches for “sober or dry gifts” from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28, compared to last year, says trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. 

More:If you canceled dry January during chaos at the Capitol, here’s why you should reconsider

Teigen revealed in late December that she had given up booze, crediting Holly Whitaker’s book “Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol” for helping with the transition. 

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