Nonalcoholic options surge as new data shows health risks of drinking any amount

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Two recent studies from the World Health Organization have shown the dangers of drinking alcohol.

The first says alcohol consumption contributes to the deaths of over 2.6 million people a year. And another concludes that there is no safe level of drinking when it comes to your health.

A departure from older, more traditional thought processes, some of which encouraged things like a glass of red wine a day.

"The research is really evolving. So we're starting to see new studies come out with new associations with cardiovascular disease, cancer, that we didn't see before," said Amy Conroy, a researcher at UCSF.

The new data comes at a time where there's been a slow but steady shift in drinking patterns nationwide.

MORE: 2.6 million people died from alcohol in 2019, new WHO report shows

That's especially true for younger people, the percentage of whom drink has dropped for the past two decades.

As the number of drinkers has dropped, the number of businesses catering to that crowd has grown.

"They either de-alcoholized the product or they just never let it ferment and become alcoholic," said Carley Hall.

Hall is the store manager of The New Bar in San Francisco - a bottle shop that sells only non-alcoholic items.

She says the company is growing rapidly, supported by loyal customers.

"I feel like definitely during the week a lot of people don't want to drink or just can't drink so they're looking for options that aren't just water," Hall said.

MORE: Dry January: What happened when I gave up alcohol for 1 month

It's a similar story at local restaurants - many of whom have adopted non-alcoholic menus in addition to their traditional offerings.

At Copra, chief operating officer Dana Katzakian says they're planning on doubling the number of non-alcoholic drinks they serve.

"If we have a private party, we automatically will pass drinks that are both non-alcoholic and alcoholic so no one has to feel like they have to make a declaration about what they're drinking and why," Katzakian said.

Despite the new scientific research though, experts say the risk for individual people remains a case-by-case basis.

"For those who are drinking casually and are healthy and have low-risk to begin with, I think those factors need to be taken into account," said Conroy.

But whether you drink or not, it looks like the non-alcoholic options are here to stay.

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