For people who are recovering alcoholics, the social scene of bars is something that some people really miss – everything except the alcohol part, of course. But now, there’s a new trend popping up all across the United States that’s trying to change that.
Sober bars are opening across the country that provides a social scene for people who still want to be out with friends – but without having to drink alcohol.
One of these sober bars is called Cherokee Recovery Village in Bastrop, Texas. Ember Zenchyshyn is a regular there – and she’s a recovering alcoholic.
“I can’t do this alone,” she says, “I need to have the people walking through this with me and kind of be a part of something.” Zenchyshyn has been sober for 3 years, but says that she sometimes feels like she’s missing out when her friends go out and about. She says, “I didn’t want to give up the fun lifestyle. I didn’t want just to go home and go to sleep at 10 and not do things.”
The owner of Cherokee Recovery Village, Paul French, says that they created the establishment to provide a place to safely socialize without any judgment at all. It looks like a normal dive bar with neon lights, pool tables, and bar stools, except they only serve non-alcoholic healthy drinks.
“You can come in and you can drink. We only have healthy beverages,” he says. “It will allow you to eventually go into establishments where there’s drinking and partying and craziness and it won’t affect you as strongly as it did.”
Sober bars can help remind people that they can still have fun and stay out late without needing to drink alcohol.
“It’s life, you just don’t want to get into recovery to stop living life, you’re getting into recovery to enjoy life.” However, Cherokee Recovery Village isn’t just for people recovering from alcohol addiction. They also welcome anyone who wants to try out sobriety for a Friday night. French says, “It has really wakened people up on the health benefits of getting sober even if it’s just for a short period of time.”
A federal survey has shown that approximately 67 million Americans binge drink at least once a month – meaning four drinks for women in a single occasion and five for men. Research has shown that excessive alcohol consumption leads to “fatty liver, cirrhosis and cancers of the breast, liver, colon, mouth and throat as well as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, dementia, anxiety and depression,” according to USA Today.
Studies have shown that nearly half of murders involve alcohol and drinking kills approximately 88,000 people a year.
More and more sober bars are opening up across America and they’re helping change the way people view socializing. It’s also a place where people can avoid awkward questions about pregnancy, sobriety, and religion just because they’re not drinking alcohol. Even bars that do serve alcohol are offering “boozeless” nights where they serve mocktails, CBD-infused beverages, kombucha, and more.
Even people who do drink are finding sober bars to be a nice change when they want to go out for the night without having to consume alcohol.
The popularity of sober bars is growing with no signs of stopping. What do you think about this new movement and the change it’s trying to bring?
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