Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 15 hrs ago
More people are questioning drinking for fun and cutting back on alcohol
People in Brazil are questioning drinking as a way to have fun and sharing experiences of attending events without alcohol on social media.
Some are cutting back or taking a break, even without a diagnosis of alcohol dependence.
Anna Gouveia, who runs an Instagram page with 145,000 followers, stopped drinking in 2023 after deciding to abstain for a year.
The sober-curious movement encourages people to examine their relationship with alcohol without treating every choice to abstain as a response to addiction.
A 2025 Datafolha survey found that 51% of people in Brazil said they do not drink alcohol, while 53% said they had reduced their consumption in the previous year.
Neurologist Marco Túlio Araújo Pedatella says cutting back or stopping can improve sleep, mood and memory, with benefits sometimes appearing within about three weeks.
The timing varies, and the movement's next step is not specified in the information available.
More people are questioning the idea that drinking is necessary for fun and socialising, and some are reducing or stopping their alcohol use.
Anna Gouveia, who runs the Instagram page Tem Gente Que Não Bebe, says she decided to abstain from alcohol in 2023 and has continued that lifestyle.
Her page has 145,000 followers and shares information about abstaining without a moralising tone.
A 2025 Datafolha survey found that 51% of people in Brazil said they did not drink alcohol, while 53% said they had reduced their consumption in the previous year.
Neurologist Marco Túlio Araújo Pedatella says improvements in sleep, mood and memory can appear about three weeks after stopping drinking, though the timing varies.
- Who
- People questioning drinking for fun, including Anna Gouveia and other social media creators.
- What
- Some are sharing experiences at events without alcohol and reducing or pausing their drinking.
- When
- The article was published on October 14, 2026. Gouveia decided to abstain on June 16, 2023.
- Where
- The trend is discussed on social media, including Instagram, and is described in Brazil and globally.
- Why
- Some people are rethinking alcohol’s role in fun and socialising, and report benefits or other reasons for changing their habits.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Global alcohol consumption fell by about 5%, according to the World Health Organization.
Anna Gouveia noticed she was drinking less while living alone in Barcelona.
Gouveia decided to abstain from alcohol until her next birthday.
Zuriel Palma created the Sóbrio Curioso Instagram page after a 30-day break from drinking became permanent.
A Datafolha survey found that 51% of people in Brazil said they did not drink alcohol and 53% said they had reduced their consumption in the previous year.
- Anna Gouveia
- 38; creator of Tem Gente Que Não Bebe
- Instagram page
- 145,000 followers
- Zuriel Palma
- 39; created Sóbrio Curioso in 2024
- Brazil survey
- 51% said they did not drink alcohol in 2025
- Reduced consumption
- 53% said they had cut back in the previous year
- Possible benefits
- May appear about three weeks after stopping, according to neurologist Marco Túlio Araújo Pedatella
What people are saying
curiosity about sobriety
messes up