How Technology Is Leading a Sobriety Revolution

New ways we are reducing our interest in alcohol

Ric Edelman: It's Thursday, September 7th. France is destroying 80 million gallons of wine and reimbursing wineries in France, $216 million. Wine consumption in France peaked way back in 1926, nearly 100 years ago. Back then, people in France drank 200 bottles of wine per person per year. That's a bit less than two glasses a day. Today, they're drinking, not two glasses a day, two glasses a week.

How about you? Has your wine consumption dropped? Talk to your kids. Are they drinking as much alcohol as you did when you were their age? Chances are your kids are drinking less than you did. One reason nobody likes hangovers.

Well, if you could drink as much as you want without the risk of a hangover, would you drink more? Soon you might get the chance. A London company is developing a synthetic alcohol that eliminates hangovers as well as health problems, even the slurred speech of drunks. It's all based on an amino acid that targets receptors in the brain that are vulnerable to alcohol. The goal of this company is to get FDA approval within three years.

There's clearly a ready market for this. Sales of low alcohol beverages and  zero alcohol beer have been rising. There are now even zero free bars in New York City. Zero-zero beers are all I drink. They taste excellent and I don't need the effects of alcohol.

We all recognize that booze is bad for us, even in very low amounts. Not only does it cause lots of people to get addicted, there are lots of harmful effects, not just hangovers. The NIH says booze contributes to more than 200 health conditions.

If you don't like the idea of zero alcohol drinks or the new synthetic booze that is under development, then try this. A San Francisco company is developing a pill that will reduce your craving for alcohol that'll cause you to drink less and drink fewer drinks when you do drink. Another company is trying to make a version that's a nasal spray. I'll drink to that.

I encourage you to listen to my wife, Jean's podcast, Self-Care with Jean Edelman. Her new weekly episode comes out today. Jean shares her experience and knowledge with you on self-care, mindfulness and overall wellness. You can listen to Jean everywhere you get your podcasts and you can also subscribe to Self-Care with Jean.com.

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