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Taking a break from drinking culture

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Sticking to your New Year's resolution can be tough especially when it's a big goal.

That could be to quit smoking or to lose a significant amount of weight.

But if you're looking to quit drinking alcohol, or at least cut back, many people are finding ways to stop drinking while still having a good time.

"Today, we're going to be doing the spiced honey spritz."

You don't have to call it a mocktail.

"We kind of coined it as zero-proof cocktails."

But at many restaurants and bars across the country, several mixed drinks are now spirit-free.

"No alcohol? No it does not have any alcohol."

Catering to a growing clientele, Jessica Szubert says, "I think there's a better life out there."

Like Szubert, taking a break from the drinking culture.

"Those are some people in my sober group."

She recently started a sober and social meet up group.

"We had a sober thanksgiving, and a ton of people showed up."

Her group is just part of a movement exploring a new kind of sobriety.

"I feel like it's something that use to be a taboo like if you weren't a drinker you had to quit you had a problem," Szubert says.

That idea is gaining ground with social drinkers who don't consider themselves alcoholics but may do 'Dry January', swearing off alcohol for a month.

One study shows people who did that were still drinking less six months later.

"I think nationally there's this idea that sober sucks and that party is the fun word."

It's the reason Duke Rumely started his Denver nonprofit for the so-called sober curious.

"And that's why we came you with the name Sober AF Entertainment safe. If it was just called Sober Entertainment nobody would show up."

With discounted tickets to big music and sporting events, he says plenty of people want fun without alcohol.

Rumely says, "People are looking for alternatives besides being around whiskey drunk guy at an event."

"There seems to be a big need for this," says Emily Schrader.

Emily Schrader is the Executive Director with Bar Zero, an alcohol-free catering nonprofit, that threw a sober New Year's Eve bash and has several events planned for this month.

"They might find they feel so much better without alcohol and may continue that into the future after Dry January."

"It's been pretty cool," Jessica says.

For people like Jessica, the chance to be sober and social is something to raise her zero-proof cocktail glass to.

"It's not easy, it's definitely challenging, but the benefits definitely outweigh the difficulties."

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