Last year, when Lauren Haydel began her first sober holiday season, she wondered how difficult it would be to avoid alcohol at family parties and celebrations with friends.
She owns a boutique, Fleurty Girl, in the French Quarter of New Orleans – a neighbourhood synonymous with drinking – in the United States.
But few people questioned her choice. “Instead of them asking me why,” Haydel says, “they ask me, ‘Oh, do you feel better?’”
Many friends told her they are considering avoiding alcohol themselves.
Sobriety has been having a moment, says Jessica Jeboult, founder of the website and online community A Sober Girl’s Guide.