How we research
Where our claims actually come from.
If we're going to tell you something about your body, your brain, or your drinking, you should be able to check it yourself. Here's exactly how that works.
Built from lived experience. Informed by evidence. Sober Woke shares personal stories alongside information from reputable health and scientific sources, clearly labelled as which is which. Neither replaces medical care, addiction treatment, or professional advice.
What we actually trust, in order
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01
The World Health Organization
Global health guidance, alcohol statistics, and the AUDIT screening tool the drinking check-in is built on.
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02
South African health and government sources
SADAG, SANCA, and official statistics, since a global number doesn't always tell the local story.
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03
Peer-reviewed research
Published, reviewed studies, not blog posts summarising studies. If we can't find the actual paper, we say so rather than guess.
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04
Recognised medical institutions
NIAAA, Cleveland Clinic, and similar bodies with a real clinical or research reputation behind them.
What we do when a claim is vague
Sometimes we find that a common claim doesn't actually check out at the specific number people repeat. When that happens, we don't quietly attach a source that sounds close enough, we correct the claim itself and cite what the evidence actually says. That's happened on this site already, and it'll keep happening as we find more to check.
Something looks wrong?
Tell us. Use the Feedback page and point to exactly what you're questioning. Every claim on this site should be checkable, and if one isn't holding up, we'd genuinely rather know.