Sober Socials Luxembourg to Hold 1st Alcohol-Free Social Event on Saturday

Sober Socials Luxembourg is organising its first alcohol-free social event on Saturday 22 October 2022 at Bazaar restaurant in Luxembourg-Ville, from 16:00 to 20:00.

This local non-profit organisation, set up in September 2022, promotes a sober lifestyle and aims to bring together like-minded sober or "sober curious" individuals to connect, exchange and have fun in a safe and non-judgmental environment without the pressure of drinking alcohol.

Speaking to Chronicle.lu ahead of this first event, Sober Socials Luxembourg founder Jessica Weis explained why she decided to set up the non-profit and what she hopes to achieve with such events. It all started with her own journey to sobriety. Having enjoyed a "party lifestyle" from quite a young age, Jessica surprised her friends and family with her decision to stop drinking alcohol; she has now been sober for one year. She explained how over the years, alcohol had become "a crutch" to alleviate everyday stress and it often left her feeling lethargic and unmotivated (and turning to alcohol again) as well as unable to give her family and career her full attention.

A couple of years ago, Jessica listened to the alcohol-free podcast "Over The Influence" and realised how attractive and attainable a sober lifestyle could be. She had previously thought an alcohol-free lifestyle would be boring but saw how people around her age had improved their lives by giving up alcohol. She felt inspired by sober people who were running marathons and doing other "amazing things". Then a year ago, she decided to give up alcohol completely. Instead of saying "I won’t drink tomorrow" as she often had in the past, she "took it day by day". The weeks went on and she remained sober, with the support and friendship of like-minded individuals on Instagram. Then, seeing how other countries like the United States (US) have in-person sober meetups, Jessica decided she wanted this in Luxembourg and since it did not yet exist, she decided to create it. "It's all fresh and happening quite quickly but there is no time like the present", said Jessica, explaining that she wanted to organise something before the Christmas period when people often feel obliged to drink more and might need some support.

Speaking about the upcoming first Sober Socials Luxembourg event, Jessica noted that the feedback has been very positive so far, although she recognised the challenges. "It’s new and we have a long way to go as Luxembourg has a big drinking culture", she said, adding that she hoped to be able to prove those who think sober people are boring wrong. She recognised that sometimes talking about being sober makes other people uncomfortable as it can make them reflect on their own drinking habits. "These are the conversations I want to open up", said Jessica. She added that it was important to break the stigma and stereotypes associated with alcoholism. "There are different levels of alcoholism. If you’re not able to function the way you wish, then you can do something about it", she said, adding that different methods work for different people. "It’s a very personal choice", she continued, adding that there are more "grey area drinkers", who may not fit the stereotype of an alcoholic, than one might think.

However, Sober Socials Luxembourg is not about making people feel bad about their alcohol consumption. "I'm not here to be a preacher", assured Jessica, adding that she wanted to "create a space" in a fun and relaxed, alcohol-free environment "for those who want to think about their alcohol consumption, want to give it a break, are sober or sober curious". The goal is also to offer people information and tools, by giving them the chance to meet sober and mindset coaches, whilst making meaningful and memorable connections with like-minded individuals.

The speakers at Sober Socials Luxembourg's first event are James Wolff, a sober coach from Objectif 0 verre, France & Luxembourg, and Amy Viola, a mindset coach and clinical hypnotherapist. Attendees will also meet Stacy Leshner, ambassador for the book Alcohol Explained by William Porter and project collaborator. Jessica lamented that all of the speakers are coming over from abroad but she hopes that as her initiative grows, there will be more local experts on this topic in the future.

There will also be food on offer and a selection of alcohol-free drinks to try throughout the event and attendees will walk away with a sobriety toolkit including all of the things needed to make their transition to a sober lifestyle, as well as new contacts and memories. Tickets cost €15 and are available via Eventbrite.

There are currently plans for a Sober Socials Luxembourg New Year's brunch in January and an alcohol-free wine tasting in February 2022, among other ideas.