Doctor backs alternating alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks

Alternating alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks can help people slow their drinking, and is a “superb idea”, a doctor told DR as Denmark marks J-day, the annual release of Christmas beer.

The trend, known as “zebra striping”, involves switching between an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic one. It is part of what may be a shift in Denmark’s drinking culture, DR reports.

Peter Holland-Fischer, a senior doctor at Aalborg University Hospital, said the pauses give people a chance to notice how they feel before the alcohol is absorbed. Alternating drinks may also help keep hangovers at bay, but he said hospital staff are more concerned about people being injured in accidents.

Holland-Fischer advised people to go out together and make a firm promise to help one another get home, even if it becomes inconvenient. He also said friends should feel able to tell each other to slow down and switch to a non-alcoholic drink.

His final piece of advice was to stop drinking when you are dancing well.

The “sober curious” trend has also spread online. The hashtag has been used in 971,000 Instagram posts, while TikTok has more than 180,400 posts under #sobercurios, with millions of views. Posts include mocktail recipes and suggestions for activities with friends that do not involve alcohol.

Forbes has cited health reasons, including better sleep and mental health, as well as a desire to challenge the social expectation that people will drink, as reasons some choose to cut back.