CNN Plans to Cut (Most) Drinking From Their New Year’s Eve Coverage
Are you planning a sober New Year’s Eve too?
Last week, Variety reported that CNN is planning a major change to its New Year’s Eve coverage this year: They’re cutting down on drinking.
According to Brian Steinberg at Variety, hosts Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper will still be allowed to drink, but other “correspondents and anchors who may have slurped down alcoholic concoctions on camera (or off) in the past will be required to halt the practice.”
I’m a recovered alcoholic who quit drinking on New Year’s Eve of 2016. CNN’s first “sober” NYE will be my seventh.
Despite that, I’ve actually got mixed feelings about the announcement.
My immediate reaction was that it’s nice to see them deemphasizing alcohol’s role in the holiday. One of the things that a lot of newly sober people have trouble with is figuring out how to celebrate the various holidays without a drink. New Year’s Eve is a particularly boozy holiday, and can be a real challenge.
In all honesty, I’ve stayed home most New Year’s Eves since I quit drinking. There’s just so much alcohol at every New Year’s event that I’d rather avoid going out altogether.
