“It’s kind of like weaning. I had to wean myself off of wine”: Navigating no- and low-alcohol drinks as potential harm reduction tools and relapse triggers by women in recovery in the UK

Introduction: Concerns have been raised that consumption of no- and low-alcohol drinks by those who are in recovery could lead to a relapse to past drinking behaviours. However, little is known regarding how individuals use these products to substitute alcohol and support their sobriety. Methods: This article draws on an ethnographic study of women’s experiences of recovery within online sobriety communities in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 UK-based women. The dataset was analysed and coded from a pragmatist feminist standpoint using a grounded theoretical approach to specifically address the research question: ‘How do women in recovery navigate the protective and risk factors associated with no- and low-alcohol drinks through practices of consumption?’. Results: Women in recovery navigate no- and low-alcohol drinks as potential harm reduction tools and relapse triggers by engaging in nuanced practices of substitution. Contrasting examples include direct substitution and temporary avoidance in early recovery. Discussion: Substitution practices are informed by the temporality of participants’ recovery journeys, the social situation, and the products. Participants selectively replicate and resist their former drinking practices to balance their perceived harm reduction benefits and relapse triggers of no- and low-alcohol drinks. Conclusion: Important considerations are raised for those in recovery who may want to use no- and low-alcohol drinks as a harm reduction tool, and for recovery modalities who promote them. It concludes with calls for more clarity regarding the definition and labelling of no- and low-alcohol drinks, and for greater understanding of their use across different recovery cultures.