Sobriety Awareness Month Returns with New Alaska Sober Heroes
Contributed by Recover Alaska
Alaskans Stevi Rae Angasan of Naknek, Johon EchoHawk Atkinson of Metlakatla and Rob Seayof Anchorage have been selected as the 2023 Sober Heroes by Recover Alaska, celebrating Alaska’s Sobriety Awareness Month. The heroes were introduced in late March on Alaska Public Media’s Line One: Your Health Connection, a weekly statewide program, where each hero shared their personal stories of sobriety and what it means to them.
The Sober Heroes are not new to speaking out loud when it comes to sobriety and have been featured on podcasts including the Urban Auntie Show and The Anonymous Eskimo Podcast. Each will work closely with Recover Alaska throughout the year, connecting with communities around the state and helping build a culture that is proud to be sober.
Signed into law in 2018, Sobriety Awareness Month celebrates the choice of Alaskans living a sober, healthy lifestyle and encourages others to recognize those making a sober choice for a variety of reasons. The effort began as the Alaska Native Sobriety Movement introduced at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in 1993 before being signed into law and recognized for all Alaskans 25 years later.
Recover Alaska kicked off the month with a pop-up sober bar in Juneau that featured sponsored alcohol-free drinks by Amalga Distillery in partnership with Heritage Coffee Roasting Co. The fundraiser event for the Recover Alaska Fund included pub trivia and education opportunities for the public and legislative staff on Recover Alaska’s advocacy work.
“The sober curious movement is on the rise, and we’re excited to see the momentum continue through 2023,” said Recover Alaska Executive Director Tiffany Hall. “From the overwhelming attendance at Dry January events that kicked off the year to the emergence of locally made alcohol free beverages, Alaskan’s aren’t shy about their desire to replace alcohol in their lives. With the Sober Hero Awards, we are hoping to not only honor the awardees, but also lift up positive role models in sobriety to make sure people around the state can see how amazing, fun, and successful a sober life can be.”
Alaskans are following a trend that is growing in strength around the world, and at times led by younger adults, including Gen Z. A 2020 study by the University of Michigan shows that over the last 20 years, the number of college students who abstained from drinking went up by 8%. And according to a 2022 study on alcohol consumption trends, Gen Z is the most sober and sober-curious generation yet.
Recover Alaska encourages all Alaskans to participate in Sobriety Awareness Month. Most people have been touched by sobriety in some way, whether they have a friend, loved one or peer choosing to live without drugs and alcohol, or they are living a sober lifestyle themselves.
About Recover Alaska:
Recover Alaska is a statewide action group with a mission to reduce excessive alcohol use and related harms across Alaska, and a vision of Alaskans living free from the consequences of alcohol misuse and empowered to achieve full potential. To learn more about Recover Alaska; access research and data; or read about Alaskans in recovery, visit www.recoveralaska.org.