"This is part of Wet February, a series about America's increasingly muddled relationship with drinking-and how to sip your way through it wisely and well. Alcohol is my only vice, and boy, it does not feel good to have my vice validated by the new food pyramid, which also suggests that steak is the foundation of a healthy diet. But I can't deny that a happy hour martini makes me feel as if I sparkle,"
"My love of liquor should not be remarkable, but these days, America's relationship to alcohol is not as freewheeling as it once was. We are self-reporting drinking less, with more low- and no-ABV options to be found at bars and corner stores. Anecdotally, about a third of my friends don't drink, whether it's because they're in recovery or they're realizing that their bodies just don't tolerate hangovers like they did in their 20s."
"Though they'd likely never use the phrase California sober with a straight face, every year I seem to gain another friend who has put down the bottle but picked up the vape or edible sachet with abandon. Studies are showing more people replacing alcohol with cannabis products. This coincides with cannabis becoming more readily available; more states are legalizing it, and it's easier than ever to order edibles and cannabis beverages across state lines."
Alcohol remains a favored personal vice for many who enjoy its social and sensory effects even as overall drinking declines. Self-reported alcohol consumption is falling, and bars and stores increasingly offer low- and no-ABV options. Roughly a third of some social circles abstain, citing recovery or declining tolerance for hangovers. Many who stop drinking often substitute cannabis products like vapes, edibles, or beverages. Cannabis legalization and easier interstate ordering have increased accessibility. Cannabis may seem to replace alcohol for some, but it is not a flawless substitute and introduces different effects and considerations.
Read at Slate Magazine
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