Should Recovering Alcoholics Consume Such Beverages?
Reducing the strength of alcohol in beverages as a strategy to reduce harmful alcohol use has been proposed by institutions such as the World Health Organization and governments worldwide.
But currently, there are no uniform worldwide definitions for these products and there’s some confusion regarding the terminology of “no,” “free,” “zero,” “low,” “light,” or “reduced” alcohol products.
In the United States, nonalcoholic beverages should contain no more than 0.5% alcohol by volume, according to the FDA. However, the FDA says that “alcohol-free” must have no detectable alcohol.
For most European countries, the limit for a “no-alcohol beverage” is considered to be 0.5% by volume. Spain, however, has set a maximum limit of 1% by volume for no-alcohol products. In France, alcohol-free beers can contain a maximum of 1.2% by volume. In the United Kingdom, alcohol-free beverages have a maximum of only 0.05% by volume, as well as most of their European Union counterparts. Japan, on the other hand, has set a limit of 1% by volume for “nonalcoholic beverages.” If clients and patients in alcohol recovery have international travel plans, knowing these differences in allowed alcohol contents for so-called “alcohol-free” beverages could be critical.
Nevertheless, the general consensus is that consuming nonalcoholic drinks designed to mimic the taste and smell of alcoholic drinks isn’t a good choice for those in recovery. A recent study published in @Psychopharmacology found that the smell of alcohol can trigger cravings. And while zero-proof drinks contain little or no alcohol, they’re designed to mimic the real thing and therefore could also trigger cravings. The sensory experience has been dubbed “euphoric recall.”
There are many options for the growing number of people, especially the young, who are drinking less alcohol, sometimes referred to as “sober curious.” Advise clients that product labels aren’t always clear in terms of ingredients and may just say “botanical blend” or “natural flavors.” If a client or patient has known allergies, contacting the company for potential allergens is the wisest step before drinking.
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