In this episode of The Shift, USAPA CEO Mike Marshall sits down with bestselling author and This Naked Mind founder Annie Grace to explore the stories we've inherited about alcohol — and what happens when we begin to question them. Together, they unpack the powerful intersection of personal experience and public health, examining how alcohol marketing, cultural norms, and policy shape the choices we believe are our own. From the myth of "drink responsibly" to the role of alcohol advertising and informed choice, this conversation challenges listeners to rethink what they've been taught about drinking — and why that matters.

Key Takeaways
✅ Why the phrase "drink responsibly" shifts blame onto individuals while ignoring alcohol's addictive nature.
✅ How alcohol marketing sells belonging, confidence, romance, and identity — not just the product itself.
✅ What Annie means by "cultural programming" and how our beliefs about alcohol are shaped long before we take our first drink.
✅ Why informed choice isn't possible without honest conversations about alcohol's health risks, including its link to cancer.
✅ How evidence-based alcohol policies can expand freedom by reducing predictable harms without eliminating personal choice.
✅ Why shame has no place in conversations about alcohol use — and how curiosity and compassion can open the door to meaningful change.

Guest Bio
Annie Grace is the founder of This Naked Mind and the bestselling author of This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, This Naked Life, and Live Naked AF. Through her books, programs, and global community, Annie has helped hundreds of thousands of people transform their relationship with alcohol through curiosity, compassion, and evidence-based education rather than shame or labels.

Learn more at ThisNakedMind.com.

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New Mexico has the highest alcohol-related death rate in the United States — and State Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez is determined to change that.

In this episode of The Shift, Mike Marshall sits down with Senator Sedillo Lopez to discuss her multi-year effort to raise alcohol taxes in New Mexico as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm, prevent deaths, and fund long-term treatment and recovery programs. The conversation explores the intersection of alcohol policy, politics, industry influence, health inequities, and the moral urgency of addressing alcohol-related harm in communities across New Mexico.

The episode also offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how alcohol policy legislation evolves over multiple legislative sessions — including coalition building, messaging strategy, opposition from the alcohol industry, and the role of personal storytelling in shifting policymakers' perspectives.

Key Takeaways

✅ Why New Mexico has become ground zero for alcohol policy reform efforts

✅ The connection between alcohol pricing and reduced consumption

✅ Health inequities and the disproportionate harms experienced by Native American and Latino communities

✅ Why personal stories often resonate more deeply than data alone

Guest Bio

Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez is a longtime community leader, attorney, and advocate serving New Mexico Senate District 16. Prior to joining the legislature, she spent more than 25 years as a professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she became the first Latina to earn tenure at the law school and later served as Associate Dean and Director of the legal clinic.

Senator Sedillo Lopez was appointed to the New Mexico Senate in 2019 and subsequently elected to represent District 16, becoming the first woman and first Hispanic person to hold the seat. She currently serves on multiple legislative committees focused on health, justice, natural resources, and disability issues.

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What looks like a fruity drink in a colorful can may actually contain the equivalent of a six-pack of beer — and most people have no idea.

In this episode of The Shift, USAPA CEO Mike Marshall explores the hidden dangers of supersized "alcopops" — sugar-sweetened, high-alcohol products designed to go down easy but hit hard. Joined by alcohol researcher Dr. Matthew Rossheim, they unpack how these products are marketed, who they reach, and why they're linked to some of the most concerning alcohol-related harms in the U.S.

Guest Bio

Dr. Matthew Rossheim is a public health researcher and expert in alcohol marketing and policy. His work focuses on high-alcohol-content products like alcopops and their disproportionate impact on youth, injury, and violence.

Key Takeaways

✅ Alcopops are designed to taste like soda or energy drinks — making it easier for young and inexperienced drinkers to consume large amounts of alcohol quickly.

✅ Some products contain up to six standard drinks in a single can — the equivalent of a binge-drinking session.

✅ Research shows underage drinkers disproportionately prefer these products due to their taste, price, and availability.

✅ Supersized alcopops are among the cheapest sources of alcohol per drink — increasing risk among youth with limited income.

✅ Emerging research suggests these products may play a role in alcohol-related violence, including sexual assault involving minors.

✅ Policy solutions — including limiting alcohol content, restricting availability, and increasing price — can significantly reduce harm.

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