Less is MORE

So many people are considering life without alcohol that the notion has been given a name: sober-curious. We find out what you can do to help lower your current alcohol consumption.

- SJAAN VAN DER PLOEG

Over the past decade, the number of young adults who are signing up for a sober lifestyle has increased. While some make the choice for religious or cultural reasons, many are simply becoming less interested in the world of alcohol.

In the early 2000s, ordering a nonalcoholic beverage would be frowned upon - or, at the very least, met with quite a few probing questions - and the pressure to conform and indulge often proved strong enough to sway people into drinking when they didn't really want to.

In addition to breaking societal boundaries, the increased interest in living alcohol-free has sparked a much-needed response from companies that are looking to keep up with the ever-changing world. Brands have no choice but to tune in with their customers' demands for products that are inclusive as well as accessible and the result of this is an explosion of non-alcoholic, de-alcoholised and alcohol-free options.

Even with the methods that have been used for extraction, a de-alcoholised drink can never be categorised as completely alcohol-free-but these drinks contain such small amounts of alcohol that the body processes it before it can have any effect on you.