Drinking "alcohol free" beer is the same as looking at a Playboy and saying, "well at least I'm not in a t*tty bar."
There's an old saying that goes, "If you hang around the barber shop long enough, you're going to end up getting a hair cut." This of course refers to going to bars which apparently you aren't, or didn't mention it. Nevertheless, there's a "vicarious" thrill associated with going to bars, and I would suspect the same thing happens when drinking "near beer." I'm getting the taste without the buzz so that's ok. To me, drinking near beer may not be going to the bar, but I've got one foot in the door.