FEATURED STORY: Zero-proof cocktails, or mocktails, are made with flavorful and colorful fruit, floral and herbal elements along with zero-proof spirits. Millennials and Gen Z are driving the “sober curious” movement, rethinking their relationship with alcohol to make healthier, more intentional choices.

Earlier this month, the U.S. surgeon general hit us with a warning that was just in time for Dry January: alcohol is bad for our health.

I don’t think anyone was shocked by the news, though it’s the specificity of alcohol’s connection to cancer (of which the report says most Americans are not aware) and Dr. Vivek H. Murthy’s call for warning labels that sent alcohol stocks tumbling.

So just how bad is the risk, and should we all be a bit more sober curious?

You can read the full advisory here, but in summary, the risk increases exponentially with consumption. Those who imbibe one drink daily (or possibly even less) may see an increased risk of breast, mouth, throat and other cancers, with those who have two drinks daily incurring significantly more risk (about five more women or three more men out of 100 would develop cancer). This makes alcohol one of the leading preventable causes of cancer, contributing to around 100,000 cases in the U.S. each year.

For the record, the CDC does not recognize any amount of alcohol as safe and strongly advises against starting to drink if you don’t already. Even low to moderate drinkers may incur adverse health effects, like cancer or heart disease. 

But what about red wine? While the jury is still out on whether the potential health benefits of red wine outweigh the risks of moderate consumption, we know that alcohol is a carcinogen — no matter the form. 

Hearing about these risks is a bummer, but we can take the data in stride to make informed decisions. Luckily for those now dipping their toe into the second half of Dry January or maybe even Alcohol-Free February, there are plenty of zero-proof options for your next night out that you won’t regret the morning after.

- Dakota Morlan, Managing Editor

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LA Fires Could Drastically Drive Up Insurance Premiums — and Test California’s New Market Rules 

CalMatters: The deadly and destructive fires in Los Angeles — which some say could be the costliest in the state’s history — will further strain the insurance market and worsen the financial position of California’s insurer of last resort.

Jackson’s National Hotel Got a Facelift — but It’s Still as ‘Haunted’ as Ever

The hotel’s popular downstairs bar and restaurant remained mostly closed for the past three years, but after major updates, including those to many of the hotel’s distinctive Victorian-style rooms, they will open again in the new year.

The Way We Work: Brad Squires

The CEO of Sacramento Venture Philanthropy, CEO of the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Foundation and owner of Heirloom Acres farm isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

Recommendations from our staff

Jennifer: After avoiding it for many years, I’m finally getting around to reading Immanuel Kant, the 18th-century philosopher whose writings went on to influence the Western world’s understanding of art and aesthetics for centuries after his death. And I have to say, what an odd and shaky foundation. From his discussion on beauty: “Many birds (the parrot, the humming-bird, the bird of paradise) and a lot of crustaceans in the sea are beauties themselves [and] belong to no object determined by concepts as to its purpose, but we like them freely and on their own account.” Which crustaceans? Why them? Why does everything always return to crabs? (See carcinization.)

Judy: I joined a gym! Planet Fitness, which many of my friends belong to. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but I haven’t been to one since before COVID. I have always belonged to a gym, from the fancy Los Angeles Athletic Club to California Family Fitness and Orangetheory in Sacramento, but that all changed when lockdown happened. Like a lot of people, I bought some weights, a yoga mat and a rowing machine during the pandemic. It’s worked well for me, but I wanted a place I can get my cardio in during Sacramento’s rainy season and also during our hot blistering summers. I hopped back on the machines and am sure to be sore today.

Odds and Ends

LAST CHANCE: Comstock’s is accepting nominations for our 11th annual salute to women in leadership. We’re looking for top-tier executives who make a demonstrated difference in their industries, companies, communities and the next generation of the workforce. Submit your nominee today.

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