The Cautions about Non Alcoholic Beer
In recent years, the development of non-alcoholic beer has made many recovering alcoholics hope for the familiar taste that they so long have wanted to experience again. In certain circles, it has been called "near beer". It is designed to look and taste exactly like traditional beer. However, researchers are finding out that it might be nearer to beer than anyone realizes.
One reason that is given for recovering alcoholics to stay away from non-alcoholic beer is the similarities to drinking beer and the risk of reminding the person what it used to be like. This could stimulate a relapse in the strongest of personalities.
Another caution is that non-alcoholic beer does contain a small amount of alcohol. In most states, anything that is labeled to be non-alcoholic can contain no more than 5% alcohol. For the recovering alcoholic, even this small amount can be too much for them to handle. Professionals caution that even the familiar smell of the alcohol can trigger a relapse in the recovering alcoholic. Both the alcohol and the anticipation of alcohol can raise levels of dopamine in the brain that cause pleasurable feelings and feelings of elation.
In most states, it is legal for minors to drink non-alcoholic beer. There is concern, however that drinking this beverage could act as a "training beer". This means that drinking non-alcoholic beer could actually desensitize young people to the taste, smell, and sight of alcoholic beer and lead to abuse or dependence later on in life. Similar to the theory that young people who spend many hours watching violence have a tendency toward violence, it is believed that non-alcoholic beer can do the same thing to young people. Many times young people who want to mimic adult behavior, which glamorizes the use of alcohol in their minds and again could lead to excessive alcohol use as adults, will purchase it. Researchers and mental health professionals have equated non-alcoholic beer to other "fake" drugs like candy cigarettes and strongly disapprove of their use.
Anytime an addict recovers or is in the process of stopping the use of the thing they are addicted to, they are careful to stay away from that substance. Addiction counselors are very strict when it comes to make sure that their alcoholic clients understand the importance of staying away from alcohol without fail. On the surface, non-alcoholic beer seems like a good substitute for something that the alcoholic desperately misses however, it more frequently is a painful reminder of what they have been through. Too often, the reminder is such that it sends the alcoholic back into the activity of drinking simply from the reminder of what it was like.
The best advice for any recovering alcoholic is to stay completely away from anything that even smells like alcohol in order to help stave off a relapse. In addition, it is important to continue to follow the program that is being used to quit the alcohol and consult the professionals in charge of the program to find out if non-alcoholic beer is acceptable in each individual case.
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