The main reason we could consider 0.5% alcohol-free is there’s a similar amount of alcohol in many natural foods that aren’t labelled as containing alcohol. For instance, this study found:
0.5% alcohol in the edible portion of ripe bananas
Does it really have 0.5%? At least here NA beers always labelled that they are allowed to have 0.5 max, but they dont say what they actually have. According to other sources they typically have like 0.1-0.2
No don’t reset, you didn’t intentionally go out to drink alcohol, it’s a genuine error that won’t catch you out again.
I used to drink Becks Blue 0.5% the last time I tried to get sober. This time around I decided it was too high and any traces of alcohol in any drink had to go. Last time around I still got cravings, this time I don’t, the odd creeping thought but no real cravings. It just makes me think that the slight alcohol in it could have been keeping the sleeping demon (my addiction as I picture it) slightly fed and therefore easily rousable?! Probably psychological but they are a no for me from now on
You weren’t INTENTIONAL about having a drink so my answer is NO you don’t need to reset. I got the same responses when I made a similar mistake a couple weeks ago. I do have to agree with CaptAZ though(in his comment) we need to be really careful. You can check the post out and the responses if you want to…
Yeah. I’m with others. It was unintentional, you dropped it when you realized it, it was small potatoes, and you even checked in here about it honestly.
Like @CaptAZ said, this is partly why I just don’t fool with NA stuff. Also it ain’t very good.
I definitely would not reset. Relapse to me is not the physical action of ingesting a bit of alcohol, it’s about choosing to return to alcohol to achieve an effect (whether that’s over a single day or an extended relapse). If you choose to have a drink (or 10) to relax or get buzzed or soothe anxieties or reward yourself or because you don’t want to upset/disappoint someone else or because you “miss the taste” or whatever, you need to reset. If you didn’t deliberately discard your sobriety in order to justify satisfying a craving, you’re fine.
My only issue with the NA stuff is it always led to me wanting the A stuff, which is why I always recommend avoidance, whenever the question arises. As far as a reset, completely up to you, but I am of the mind that 100% unintentional is not a relapse, as relapse is a willful action.
@Mobius I had the same feeling when I was drinking kombucha the other day…I read the back AFTER finishing the big bottle of it and since it’s fermented it “may contain” small amounts of alcohol. I only consider this a relapse for me because my doctor said I can’t even have cough syrup or any type of medication that has even a trace amount of alcohol in it-could make my cirrhosis flare up. But that’s all health-based for me; almost life or death kind of shit. In your situation, it wasn’t intentional so you’re fine! You recognized and immediately switched to tea. Good for you