If you aren’t aware, there is a trend away from drinking alcohol in America. Yes, believe it or not, it’s true.
The Chicago Tribune recently editorialized about this trend in a piece titled, “More Americans are saying no to alcohol. So, too, is new federal guidance” (August 5, 2026).
The article begins, “Nearly half of American adults say they don’t touch alcohol, according to a 2025 Gallup survey. At 54%, the share of the population that drinks has reached its lowest level since the survey started in 1939.”
There are several reasons for this trend. Health concerns, links to disease, and degeneration of the mind are some of the reasons listed for Americans turning away from the bottle. Amazingly, “No amount of alcohol is ‘good for you,’ the authors summarize.
When people ask me why I don’t drink, I tell them that my choice not to drink is not about personal preference, but dominion over the mind. To experience success with spiritual healing, one needs to have clear thought. It cannot be open to undesirable suggestions that take over and take you to places you don’t want to be.
I was at a party recently, where some people were drinking. One very friendly chap strikes up a conversation with me. He admits, “I had a couple of drinks,” and he was loosened up, but also losing dominion over his thinking. He was saying and doing things he never would do if in a clear state of mind. This might appear innocent in a party setting, but in real life, when suggestions coming knocking at the mental door like, “You have a disease,” to stay healthy, we want to be quick and clear in our protest to protect ourselves from it. We don’t want to be caught off guard, intoxicated.
Where the above trend goes, time will tell, but in the meantime, I’m very comfortable with drinking in the inspiration of Truth and Love for enjoyment every day. Feeling close to God, being inspired by ideas coming from above, and living with dominion over mind and body leave me feeling my best at the end of the day. And, interestingly, I’ve never had a bad hangover to deal with later.
We had a very dear friend who, when we went to visit her, would
always be offering a good quality wine. My husband appreciated that
because he is not a student of Christian Science. But when I declined,
she always said “You don’t know what you are missing”.
Well, I thought, I am not missing anything that is good and beneficial.
I always replied simply that I didn’t need wine to make me happy.
I have been recently affirming that God is the ONLY power,
and He does not give His power to anyone or anything else.
And His power supports and governs all that is very good.
And on this topic, there are no bad results can develop from
believing in and trusting God, and drinking in all His spiritual ideas,
rather than concoctions of spirit which mortal mind has given false
power to, which denies God’s ability to make us happy and joyful.
❣️❣️
Thanks Evan for the lovely post,..yes true intoxication, peace and joy is from drinking of spiritual ideas of Truth and Love, of feeling God’s presence and power, His loving kindness, His allness and goodness.
Thanks Maggie for your lovely response to.
“You don’t know what you are missing” Yes by denying to drink wine you honoured God, for God alone is the source of true happiness and the high we reach when we feel the presence and power of God is unmatched.
❣️❣️
I have been thinking about this recently myself. I gave up alcohol completely when I was 18, because of a kind of spiritual awakening I had, out of the “blue.” I had been raised by atheists in England who, in retrospect, definitely depended on alcohol to relax and even be able to be at ease in the evenings. Since then (55 years) I have moved to the USA, where I have noticed that drinking is less and less taken for granted as the normal way to live (in the UK, going down the pub was the norm).
Exploring more and more deeply the real Christian science I am happier and happier that I made this choice so young. My husband and I recently moved from California to Colorado, and we held a party to welcome our new and truly wonderful neighbors. We told them on the invitation that we don’t drink, but it is a potluck. Bring what you would like. Everyone showed up with wine
After the very friendly and cheerful party I said to my husband that if we have another gathering, we are going to say that we will be sharing booze-free cheer. I felt quite exhausted by being around the slightly drunk people.
I see how alcohol (and other substances and “fixes” for anxiety can so easily become a second power when there is only one power. Sometimes I have thought, it must be fun for those who can just do that, but over time I have seen that I am happier, healthier and as Evan said, more in dominion over my thoughts.
Thanks for bringing up this subject, Evan. And also, when I came to the USA in the 70s, everyone smoked everywhere, just like in Europe; and now, it’s very surprising when you smell some cigarette smoke wafting from somewhere.
Love to all.
Great post Katie! I think about that a lot, that there is only ONE power. Thank you. ❣️
I had a healing of drug and alcohol abuse that is in the September 2015 Journal. I’ve been completely sober now for almost 35 years. Christian Science heals! Humanly, I couldn’t stop but God’s grace saved me.
I’ll check it out Jeff, thank you!❣️
Thanks Jeff. Is this your testimony?
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/hgvbcz3isy?s=copylink
Great post, thank you!❣️
This is good news and interesting to read, Thank you, (although I couldn’t
see the entire article). I have never been tempted to go along with “the crowd”
when in high school, college or beyond and for that I am very grateful.
At times, it did seem like Maybe I was “missing out”, as it was the In
thing to do, especially in college, but I never had any thoughts to indulge
in the partying atmosphere and as I look back on my decisions, I am
very glad I wasn’t swayed in any way, to go against my principles and
values. When babysitting – even if the parents had left an empty beer
can on the coffee table, I would have to remove it from the room, because
the smell was so offensive.
I love what you wrote, Evan, “Feeling close to God, being inspired by ideas
coming from above and living with dominion over mind and body leave me
feeling my best at the end of the day”. Yes – drinking in and breathing in
the inspiration of Truth and Love – are so inspiring and give a high, like
nothing else. For this I am so grateful …
It seems as though most everything in this mortal experience is cyclical; but hoping drinking goes the way of smoking as more and more people become educated about the dangers. Also seeing more and more people reading labels at the grocery store, and cooking at home due to super high sodium and other unhealthy ingredients associated with eating fast food and at restaurants.
Unfortunately, many people deal with alcoholism and other substance abuse issues. As a witness to its negative effects, I knew as a kid I would never drink and never did. I remember occasionally being bullied for my choice, but didn’t care. It was a great lesson on staying mentally strong, and true to who I was as a child of God. It takes strength not to go along with the crowd or succumb to peer pressure, even as adults. Companies have spent billions on their “mommy juice” advertising with many women buying into that and some unfortunately ending up in rehab.
I love the thought of “be who you are” as it can apply to many situations. I found the article this week in the CedarCamps Metaphysical by Kathy Fitzer, in case you missed it:
“Be who you are” By Michele Newport. From the August 2026 issue of The Christian Science Journalhttps://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1445i5gzxue?s=copylink
Oops…
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1445i5gzxue?s=copylink
Evan thank you..
I found this very interesting in that the company I have my 2 cars insured with have lowered their rates and for the first time in their 103 years of business are giving a $5 billion payout in dividends to all customers who had auto insurance with them in 2025 of $100 per car. Doesn’t the following sound like a result of what Evan wrote about?
“———-” cited a decline in the frequency of auto accidents and lower collision claims in 2025, alongside stabilizing repair costs, as key factors enabling their record $5 billion policyholder dividend.”
Good news.
Many many years ago I had a lot of dinner parties and friends gatherings snd the rule was no alcohol. I well remember one such event where a guest had arrived with bottles of alcohol and II had met them at the door and stated the rule and there was a raised objection and ‘well we will leave then.’ I said that was their choice but assured them that our gatherings were joyous , harmonious and full of good spirit. They left to their car but the wife had said let’s leave them in the car and go and experience this event.
Well at the end of the evening of fun games and activities like nothing they had ever experienced the wife came up to me and said this was the first outing where she had not had to deal with taking home a very drunk husband and it was a gathering like she had never experienced. We made no apology for our stand as Christian Scientists and we have been good friends for many many years .
Our children , now all with children of their own are not partakers through the demonstration we made .
My gratitude abounds.
Clear free thought is so vital to our well being.
This is wonderful. Thank you Evan and others. I loved the explanations of what God has given us dominion over.
Thank you very much, Evan, for today’s SpiritView about the American people not drinking alcohol anymore. A wonderful choice for them.
Although I tried cigarrets and alcohol I never did it anymore later not only because I attended CS sundayschool but also because I was aware that the money for all that bad habit was “money thrown out of the window” Also I was lucky that non of my family smoke or drank. A final say Bey Bey to alcohol was when I always had stomach ache when I drank just a little bit. And later I not even had the slightest wish to drink a drop alcohol.
All in all I am and was aware that my Father’Mother God alwas guided me and looked after me and protected me!
I can always only express my gratitude for the pearl of great price – Christian Science !
Thank you all very much for your inspirations and sharing of helpful articles.
Love to all!
Thank you for all these affirmations for not drinking alcohol! I began drinking (and smoking) when I went away to college. The smoking went first, and when I became interested in Christian Science I was very interested in losing the drinking habit because it had control over me seemingly. Today, while I live in the heart of the wine country of Northern California, am truly grateful that I have no interest in drinking. God’s idea is free from the desire of using any substance that interferes with reliance on Divine Mind.
I too, can testify to the joy I feel of not desiring alcohol in the slightest. I lost all taste for it when I first started reading Science and Health. I’ve learned that I do not like to be dependent on something material that dictates my life. When I was in college, I would sometimes have trouble settling down to study. I solved this by rewarding myself with a tall glass of Coca Cola on ice while I studied. I didn’t realize how this was controlling my thinking though. I started avoiding studying in the library, since they didn’t allow food or beverages. It all came to a head one night when there was a huge blizzard outside. I settled in to study, but was dismayed to find my roommates had drunk all my Coke! As I anxiously tried to figure out how to get the beverage with the logistics of going out in the blizzard, I suddenly realized how dependent I had become. I quit that night and never wanted a Coke again. Some might say it was a minor problem, but to me, it was all about having control of my own thoughts.