Is drinking so called non alcohol beer ( even 0.05%) ok, or is it just another excuse to lead back to the booze?
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IMO, it will lead you back to the real thing my friend.
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I’m sure for some people it will work, depending on the reasons why you drink it (wether it is because it is the closest you can get to an alcoholic drink without giving up sobriety or because you really enjoy the taste and every once in a while you want one for example), but for me it doesn’t work at all. I drank it sometimes past times when I tried to get sober, very quickly had some every night and in the end it was really easy to start drinking alcoholic beverages again. To me, the taste reminds me too much of the ‘real’ thing so I know it is best for me to stay away from it and just order soda or something else.
Edit: Giving it a bit more thought, I really doubt there are a lot of alcoholics for which it is a good replacement that doesn’t bring them back to booze. For non-alcoholics who like the taste but don’t always want alcohol or are designated driver for example, sure, but for alcoholics… it is just too close to regular beer I think.
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You’re playing with fire my friend. I was 6 months sober. Started drinking O’Douls, then it went to bud 32 (the super super light beer), then light beer… before I knew it I was back to smashing 12 corona extras every single night. Could you be an exception? Maybe. But this is my personal experience. Somebody else told me the same thing, but I didn’t listen.
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I agree with all the other kind folks who replied…slippery slope. I had the same issue when I was trying to quit smoking/nicotine…I would use lozenges to quit and that just got me addicted to nicotine in lozenge form (and messed up my teeth for awhile). The only way is to eliminate it 100%. As oliverjava says, a little bit of poison is still poison.
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I think you ansered your question 
. It will lead you back.
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Im gonna share a little tmi… for me, if I’m craving beer on a hot day they help, BUT, they nearly always give me a very VERY upset stomach and i spend a few hours um, indisposed. SO, my mind has associated beer in general as having this affect, and i don’t want it. Which is a good thing. Lol
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I’m going to be the devils advocate here. They (well, non-alcoholic wine) work for me…WHEN a bad craving hits. I think if I drank it every day as a substitute then I wouldn’t really be working through WHY I drink and how to not drink, I’m just substituting the drink with something else. Eventually I will go back to the real stuff. But when I’m having a particularily bad time and I’m worried that I’ll run out and buy a bottle (or three!!) instead I get the non-alcoholic stuff. It gives me the ability to go through the actions without the consequences. Then once the feelings have passed I get back to the real work.
I did this about 2 or 3 weeks ago and it really helped me.
BUT it won’t work for everyone. And there are a LOT of people here (most, actually) who say don’t do it.
I think the answer is inside you. Deep down you’ll know what will or won’t work for you.
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Thanks guys, i think deep down I new the answer but needed conformation from others.
No alcohol=No alcohol
Have a great alcohol free weekend 
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Cheers, mine is in the fridge chiling 
love the taste!
I’ve never had a problem with it. I wanted one last night actually, but we out. Drinking N/A beer for me has never got me craving the real thing. I think the consensus is the opposite and I’m totally fine with that. For me, it’s the carbonation and I MISS the taste. There are ALSO N/A beers out there with 0.0%, you just have to search a little harder. Still get that taste, but no percentage.
If you doubt yourself and how you might react, then don’t do it. When I was first newly sober, it really saved me. lol, when I was in the craves, deep down in them, I drank one of those and it gave me relief. Probably mental relief, like a placebo, but it stopped me from getting the real stuff. I also like it, because alcohol is still prevalent in my household and when we host events. I like to feel included and I’ll have one of those while everyone is drinking.
I’ve also gotten N/A wine before. Saying all that, after a few months I stopped drinking any of that stuff. It was a crutch when I needed it, but with time, I noticed I didn’t want those either.
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Is it the bottle in hand that you want?I know I had a hard time not having something in my hand.If so there are lots of substitutes.
I don’t claim to be a knowledge person.
But my understanding of what we deal with is a physical compulsion coupled with a mental obsession.
For me sobriety came at a great cost. I am not talking money. Self respect. Trust. Jobs. Drivers licence the list goes on. And could well have been my life and I don’t say that lightly.
In view of the above 2 points. Even 0.5% to me will trigger a compulsion. Then the mental obsession will kick in.
Even if 100 people said we got away with it. I would not risk it. Where it took me, and possibly my life.
No thank you.
Today I have regained what alcohol took and more. I have received all I sought in the bottle and more. Far more.
I will have a soft drink please.
Your Friend John 
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I think it depends on the person, but if you’re in early recovery or skeptical about it then probably dont. My sponsor is 5 years clean and sober and he drank 0% Budweiser over the holidays. He said that he has had no cravings of any sort as a result…hes also super cautious and vigilant with his addiction/alcoholism. If he did notice a change in thought I’m sure he would put the plug in it and stop immediately…I wouldn’t try it because I know itll lead to a relapse with my sobriety and then lead me directly back into active addiction with my drug of choice.
Be smart. Be safe.
I thought that non alcoholic beer would be a good substitute for trying to stay sober but reading all the post I know better now that for me no alcohol is the only solution. That first drink is all I need to avoid, there is no way that I can limit my use to just a few drinks because I know I’m an alcoholic.
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Same. I don’t even want to stand in the parking lot of the ballpark of alcohol. Zero benefit, so why do it?
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