How you can join the ranks of the part-time sober
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It can take a lot of rules to be a successful member of the growing ranks of the part-time sober. No wine after 8 p.m.
No drinking during the workweek. No hard liquor. Only hard liquor.
Dry January may be over. But many people are cutting back on alcohol, spurred by increasing concern about the health impacts of even minimal drinking, the popularity of nonalcoholic beers and fancy mocktails and the rise of sober-curious influencers, among other reasons. A scientific report released in January found that having one drink a day was linked to an increased risk of liver cirrhosis, esophageal cancer and oral cancer.
The risk of developing some cancers, including breast and colorectal cancer, starts with any alcohol use. Almost half of Americans, and 65% of Gen Zers, said they plan to drink less alcohol in 2025, according to a survey by research firm NCSolutions that included 1,131 adults ages 21 and over. But booze—and the temptation to drink it—can feel like it’s everywhere when you’re trying to imbibe less.
Making rules for yourself can help you resist, many of the part-time sober say. Some people limit their drinking to certain days of the week—and have to get creative to stick to it. Tina Cornell, 56 years old, loves wine and used to have it pretty much daily.
But, starting around two years ago, she started drinking only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. (She does have the occasional slip-up, she admits.) She cut down after a few friends had health scares, after she started hearing more about alcohol and cancer risk and because she noticed that, as she got older, drinking made it hard to get uninterrupted sleep. The problem is that sometimes Sunday or Monday night rolls around and
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