It has been five months since I took a break from drinking. I am not sober or abstinent from alcohol, so I continue to be able to drink whenever I feel like it.
Originally, my goal was to lose weight, but I did not lose weight without drinking. In that sense, the alcohol cessation was meaningless.
After five months of sobriety, I have found that I have no problems without alcohol. I don't have the sense of freedom and enjoyment of drinking with friends that I get from drinking alcohol, but I don't feel inconvenienced because the Corona Disaster has eliminated those opportunities.
By the way, it is said that there is a growing number of people, especially young people, who are "sober-curious," meaning they dare not drink alcohol. Sober" means "plain," and it is a new trend to enjoy being plain.
Sales of alcoholic beverages have also declined over the years, with beer consumption in particular falling to one-third of its peak, while liqueurs are on the rise.
A decade ago, banquets used to start with "beer for now," but nowadays, it is certainly more common to toast with liqueurs such as chu-hi and sours.
The fact that more people are cutting back on alcohol is also a sign of health consciousness. This is also reflected in smoking habits. The decrease in the smoking rate among men has been remarkable, from nearly 90% in the past to the 20% level now.
The rate of alcohol consumption also seems to be gradually decreasing in the future.
Various food and beverage prices will increase on October 1. Beer and other alcoholic beverages are also likely to increase in price by 6-10%, and this may be a good opportunity for more people to implement sobercurious practices.
The proper way to deal with alcohol is not to drink as a habit, but to enjoy it as a lubricant to add color to one's life and to lubricate one's interactions with others.
There was a time in my 30s and 40s when I drank heavily, and I wonder what that was all about.
