Drinking out has gotten insanely expensive, crappy beers can be like 10 dollars a glass at some places. Cocktails with a single small shot sometimes north of 20-30 bucks. People can't afford to...
Drinking out has gotten insanely expensive, crappy beers can be like 10 dollars a glass at some places. Cocktails with a single small shot sometimes north of 20-30 bucks. People can't afford to pay 100+ bucks to get drunk. I don't drink that much but it's not because of any conscious abstinence, it's because I'm a frugal person and can't stand to spend a 500% markup on something that I know has like 58 cents worth of alcohol in it. If I'm going to get drunk it's going to be with a 25 dollar bottle from the liquor store at a party with friends.
Where are you drinking??? I've been to 3 Michelin star restaurants with top-shelf call drinks cheaper than that! It's definitely cheaper to drink at home, but those prices are insane. Edit: Is it...
Cocktails with a single small shot sometimes north of 20-30 bucks.
Where are you drinking??? I've been to 3 Michelin star restaurants with top-shelf call drinks cheaper than that! It's definitely cheaper to drink at home, but those prices are insane.
Edit: Is it Canada? I know there's a legal limit on alcohol per drink in Canada, and the Canadian dollar always makes things a bit more expensive.
In the Bay Area it can easily be $20 for a cocktail. The alcohol is there, but the uncommon or house-made ingredients are often the star of the show. Once you're using an essence of fresh lavender...
In the Bay Area it can easily be $20 for a cocktail. The alcohol is there, but the uncommon or house-made ingredients are often the star of the show. Once you're using an essence of fresh lavender steeped in gin, or ginger-infused salt, or whatever, the prices start to detach from the already high alcohol markup, and it also starts to be much less about the alcohol in the first place.
Drink prices are kind of all over the place IMO. I’ve paid $14 for a fancy cocktail in the Bay Area, and I’ve seen a friend of mine pay $20 for a “cocktail” at a dive bar in SoCal which consisted...
Drink prices are kind of all over the place IMO. I’ve paid $14 for a fancy cocktail in the Bay Area, and I’ve seen a friend of mine pay $20 for a “cocktail” at a dive bar in SoCal which consisted of an energy drink can plopped upside down into a glass filled with ice and booze.
I’ve also stopped going out for drinks due to cost, but still occasionally like going to the local bar or brewery for special occasions, and my best advice is to just look at menu prices before committing.
I get that, I've paid for a $22 modern tiki drink from a restaurant I particularly like. Maybe I misunderstood "north of 20-30 bucks" and the intent was "in the $20-30 range" which I get for HCOL...
I get that, I've paid for a $22 modern tiki drink from a restaurant I particularly like. Maybe I misunderstood "north of 20-30 bucks" and the intent was "in the $20-30 range" which I get for HCOL areas.
I'd say the average in SF is more like $15-18 though. Smuggler's Cove - which is a world famous rum bar with excellent drinks - has most drinks at $15 or $16. But some spots do have drinks around...
I'd say the average in SF is more like $15-18 though. Smuggler's Cove - which is a world famous rum bar with excellent drinks - has most drinks at $15 or $16. But some spots do have drinks around $23. Maybe I'm not going to fancy enough places because I've never seen anything here close to $30.
I'd agree that the average is still sub-$20, but think that the overall sentiment of OP is true even if the numbers quoted were hyperbolic. If you want to drink to drink, cocktails in bars or...
I'd agree that the average is still sub-$20, but think that the overall sentiment of OP is true even if the numbers quoted were hyperbolic. If you want to drink to drink, cocktails in bars or restaurants are really expensive for the amount of alcohol you get.
Prices for anything in the Bay Area are not representative of the rest of the country, at all. They can't be used to explain nation-wide trends. If you can actually afford to live in Silicon...
Prices for anything in the Bay Area are not representative of the rest of the country, at all. They can't be used to explain nation-wide trends. If you can actually afford to live in Silicon Valley, $20 for a cocktail isn't a big deal.
The Bay Area =/= Silicon Valley. There are a lot of people not really making that much in the bay, especially in the smaller and more obscure towns and areas. Granted, it's much harder than it...
If you can actually afford to live in Silicon Valley, $20 for a cocktail isn't a big deal.
The Bay Area =/= Silicon Valley. There are a lot of people not really making that much in the bay, especially in the smaller and more obscure towns and areas. Granted, it's much harder than it used to be for them, especially post-COVID, but there are still way more people that can scrape by and afford to stay in the Bay but really cannot afford a $20 cocktail
Even then, for those more well off, it's not usually just one $20 cocktail, it's at least a few per person to go out just for one night. Add in tips and taxes and that can become a serious financial burden very quickly if you want to go out with any regularity.
The last time I went to Vegas my husband bought a “large format” drink that is supposed to be for more than one person for $60. But it was so watered down that it was probably the same amount of...
The last time I went to Vegas my husband bought a “large format” drink that is supposed to be for more than one person for $60. But it was so watered down that it was probably the same amount of alcohol as a regular drink. The markup was largely for the performance aspect because the cup had dry ice in it.
Our prices are the same as the US, just with CAD. A CA$10 beer here was US$10 in Manhattan when I went last year. Cocktails are $15-20 as well. Same amount of alcohol too. If anything, our beers...
Edit: Is it Canada? I know there's a legal limit on alcohol per drink in Canada, and the Canadian dollar always makes things a bit more expensive.
Our prices are the same as the US, just with CAD. A CA$10 beer here was US$10 in Manhattan when I went last year. Cocktails are $15-20 as well. Same amount of alcohol too. If anything, our beers seem to be slightly stronger on average.
I've seen places with $25 cocktails but those are places in the most expensive district of the most expensive city taking advantage of the extremely high population of finance bros in the neighbourhood. Or at sports venues.
US people: consider Canada as a vacation destination. You can eat and drink amazing stuff for basically a 40% discount, especially if you go to Montreal.
I don't drink anymore but I sometimes glance at the drink menu, at most sit down restaurants here in the Canadian prairies (lower CoL than either coast) you're usually looking at 6$ for a domestic...
I don't drink anymore but I sometimes glance at the drink menu, at most sit down restaurants here in the Canadian prairies (lower CoL than either coast) you're usually looking at 6$ for a domestic beer, 8-10$ for imports, 10-12$ for a "simple cocktail" (old fashioned, margarita, whiskey sour, etc), 14-20$ for more complex cocktails like signature drinks, seasonal flavours, etc.
Price is so significant that I almost never drink when out unless the booze is free. Historically for me that usually meant work-related events, including just restaurants where the it was going...
Price is so significant that I almost never drink when out unless the booze is free. Historically for me that usually meant work-related events, including just restaurants where the it was going to be expensed.
The strong majority of my alcohol consumption now, probably about a drink per week, comes from that I took up home brewing. I started the hobby for fun rather than cost though. While it does seem to normally be cheaper than just buying alcohol I drank at home so rarely prior that I'm almost certainly spending more money on the hobby than I'm saving.
I'm a millennial but I have found myself drinking less and less as I've gotten older. I used to love kicking back at night and having a few drinks. Getting drunk with friends and stuff. But lately...
I'm a millennial but I have found myself drinking less and less as I've gotten older. I used to love kicking back at night and having a few drinks. Getting drunk with friends and stuff.
But lately I have no desire to drink alone. I drink so little when with friends, one maybe two beers or drinks and I'm done. Getting drunk just doesn't do it for me anymore.
And it's not about money or the caloric intake, though it is nice to not have to worry about those, is just not as enjoyable as it was ten or fifteen years ago.
Same. I’ve just started enjoying how I feel sober more than how I feel when inebriated, regardless of the substance. Besides one glass of wine a week with pasta, I’ve just completely stopped...
Same. I’ve just started enjoying how I feel sober more than how I feel when inebriated, regardless of the substance. Besides one glass of wine a week with pasta, I’ve just completely stopped drinking both alcohol and thc and I don’t really miss it.
Same. I definitely had a lot of fun through college and into mid twenties with a lot of drinking, and I don't discount that. Lots of cherished memories from then (and some cherished but more foggy...
Same. I definitely had a lot of fun through college and into mid twenties with a lot of drinking, and I don't discount that. Lots of cherished memories from then (and some cherished but more foggy memories).
But now a few things are different. First, the couple of times since that i've had 4 or 5 beers/drinks I realize that I can say stupid things and not recover well, and I'm not as funny (as judged by me). Second, my body just can't take it. I don't know if drinking less reduces my tolerance so it's self perpetuating, but my body feels wrecked now with even 2 high-alcohol beers. My friends make fun of me and my "hurting bones", but it's true. And I hate feeling like the next day is wasted with just recovering.
Now, as a parent, I don't have a day i can just sit around nursing a hangover. And it also means I'm not out downtown drinking, or anywhere that requires a car. I don't like uber/lyft services, and I'm not going to drive after 2 beers over handful of hours (and even 2 is...not my favorite though realistically it's fine). Having a kid really distilled my thinking about risk.
As a fellow millennial most of my drinking is social now too, like a beer or two when meeting up with old friends sort of thing. I’ll occasionally grab one on random Friday evenings at home, but...
As a fellow millennial most of my drinking is social now too, like a beer or two when meeting up with old friends sort of thing. I’ll occasionally grab one on random Friday evenings at home, but it’s pretty infrequent. I’d estimate 1-3 drinks per 3 months, with the warm months being more frequent and cold months being less.
I'm not about to say that I drink more now than when I was younger, but while I really appreciate my sober reality, I've found myself reeeally appreciating a nice whisky neat while working on...
I'm not about to say that I drink more now than when I was younger, but while I really appreciate my sober reality, I've found myself reeeally appreciating a nice whisky neat while working on repetitive creative tasks.
At 40, having a 6 oz cup of something while I draw, build a PC or whatever else is great and the temporary buzz is stimulating in ways that it never was before.
For me, it's about sleep and what I'm doing with my time. I often think, "I should have a drink tonight.", but when tonight rolls around, I know I won't be able to sleep well if I have that drink....
For me, it's about sleep and what I'm doing with my time.
I often think, "I should have a drink tonight.", but when tonight rolls around, I know I won't be able to sleep well if I have that drink. I know that I won't do the things I might want to do after the kids are in bed (play a videogame, for example) because I'll be too tired after my drink.
I still like drinking and do occasionally have a couple, but I don't really get drunk like I used to. I had two beers out at dinner the other night on NYE and thought, "I could continue drinking when I get home." and then goot home, drank tea and relaxed instead.
My wife stopped drinking last year when she got pregnant and I stopped drinking with her. Other than a trip in Japan (I absolutely love drinking draft beer in Japan), I have had almost no desire...
My wife stopped drinking last year when she got pregnant and I stopped drinking with her. Other than a trip in Japan (I absolutely love drinking draft beer in Japan), I have had almost no desire to start drinking again. Money and calories is definitely a huge plus for me though! Even better I realize now how bad I feel the next day after drinking. It's like when I realized I felt like a had a cold the next day if I bummed a cigarette while drinking the night before, I never smoked again after that.
I am enjoying all the new and higher quality non alcoholic beers. I went to a bar with friends the other day and the bar was actually sold out of NA beers!
I think this article misses a possible explanation: there’s a lot more competition in the substance category. Kinda like how movie theaters are dying: people still watch movies, but there are home...
I think this article misses a possible explanation: there’s a lot more competition in the substance category.
Kinda like how movie theaters are dying: people still watch movies, but there are home streaming options, and many other compelling home entertainment options like video games.
Vapes are super, super popular with young people as a social ‘substance’. Marijuana and derivative products are also super popular and increasingly legal. So too are other drugs.
Cannabis is both much more readily available and nowhere near as stigmatized as it used to be. I'm an elder millennial and I find most people in my peer group view marijuana as less harmful than...
Cannabis is both much more readily available and nowhere near as stigmatized as it used to be. I'm an elder millennial and I find most people in my peer group view marijuana as less harmful than alcohol, with many of us also finding it more enjoyable. There's no way it hasn't displaced some amount of alcohol consumption, I know it has for me.
Especially when one of the first things you get point when you're looking at substance effects and combinations is what not to mix and alcohol is a no mixer for almost everything
Especially when one of the first things you get point when you're looking at substance effects and combinations is what not to mix and alcohol is a no mixer for almost everything
One of my social groups are always stocked with soju, alcoholic seltzers, and ketamine lol. There are definitely other drugs, like you mention, but I think alcohol is really the footnote. I can't...
One of my social groups are always stocked with soju, alcoholic seltzers, and ketamine lol. There are definitely other drugs, like you mention, but I think alcohol is really the footnote. I can't recall anyone being excited to show off what alcohol they brought except maybe me.
Many here are citing the price of alcohol and the availability of alternative substances, but I suspect that this goes beyond simple economics and is actually a cultural shift. For eight years, I...
Many here are citing the price of alcohol and the availability of alternative substances, but I suspect that this goes beyond simple economics and is actually a cultural shift.
For eight years, I worked on a farm in Australia (a nation noted for its drinking culture) in a deeply rural area with a high availability of alcohol (it's a big area for wine, cider, and beer production). I worked alongside a team made of mostly of blue collar men of various ages — from strapping young farm boys just out of high school (note that 18 is the legal drinking age in Australia), up to sinewy old farmers with decades of hard physical work under their belts.
Free alcohol was served at our annual Christmas parties (some of them even took place at local cideries and wineries) and here is what I observed:
Every single person born before 1975/1980-ish drank whatever alcohol was available to them, some of them even to the point of becoming embarrassingly tipsy in front of their coworkers. Every single person born after 1990/1995-ish did not drink at all — not the lightest beer, and not even a tiny sip at a wine or cider tasting — even when some of the older people tried to pressure them to drink. People in between those ages were divided: some drank a fair bit, some drank not at all, but most only did cursory taste tests and did not finish their drinks.
Alternate take: Gen Z is drinking less as a response to a decade of restaurants and bars leaning on increasing markups to paper over increasing costs of doing business. With increasing alcohol...
Alternate take: Gen Z is drinking less as a response to a decade of restaurants and bars leaning on increasing markups to paper over increasing costs of doing business. With increasing alcohol costs, economic uncertainty, and income disparity, younger people are turning to less expensive entertainments. If you can buy a video game that will entertain you for a hundred hours for the price of a beer, alcohol is just being outcompeted by other ways to kill time.
I would expect this to mean people choose to drink at home more than out at bars and restaurants. I think cannabis is a more likely explainer as to why young people are drinking less on the whole.
I would expect this to mean people choose to drink at home more than out at bars and restaurants.
I think cannabis is a more likely explainer as to why young people are drinking less on the whole.
I think drinking at home isn't appealing if you're looking for the socialization/going out factor, and for gen z, they're more likely to be stuck in less than ideal living situations (living with...
I think drinking at home isn't appealing if you're looking for the socialization/going out factor, and for gen z, they're more likely to be stuck in less than ideal living situations (living with their parents, too many roommates, very small place, far away from things, etc) that make drinking at home not a particularly fun experience. I think you're right about cannabis, and it definitely makes more sense as a drug choice for those situations.
That meta study is looking at the whole population. From your link: (Acronym expansions mine.)
That meta study is looking at the whole population. From your link:
In adolescents, meta-analysis of numerous studies indicates that MML (Medical Marijuana Legalization) have not significantly affected the likelihood of cannabis use post-MML [54]. In a study of RML (Recreational Marijuana Legalization)effects on adolescents, RML did not affect the odds of cannabis use or frequent use, but appeared to increase the risk of CUD (Cannabis Usage Disorders) [53].
I'm a millennial and have stopped drinking altogether. I already cut down a lot in the past few years and still could see myself enjoying a glass of whiskey every now and then but even two drinks...
I'm a millennial and have stopped drinking altogether. I already cut down a lot in the past few years and still could see myself enjoying a glass of whiskey every now and then but even two drinks in a day makes me feel noticeably bad almost immediately and for a while after. Whereas I used to feel invincible. It wrecks my body now.
And ever since one last time I had with alcohol and felt awful even drinking lightly, I decided for my general wellbeing and overall health it was time to even give up the occasional single drink. Just not worth it anymore. I had my fun and don't regret it but I've lost interest. I've moved on to tea and coffee and other things
I thought I might give in during the holidays or tough moments but I've stuck it out so far and never plan to go back. Most of the desire has actually fully left me. I think of alcohol and immediately feel a tinge of a phantom headache or sensation that reminds me of the last time I had it, and that was months and months ago
I'm a millennial and was never big into drinking to begin with, but I totally get this. It astounds me that a single beer or cocktail can cost as much as a 6 pack or bottle of liquor (albeit a...
I'm a millennial and was never big into drinking to begin with, but I totally get this. It astounds me that a single beer or cocktail can cost as much as a 6 pack or bottle of liquor (albeit a low-shelf one). I enjoy the occasional drink on a special occasion but I'm hard pressed to get one from your typical restaurant.
I've had some long-running (albeit minor) issues with alcohol, but stopped drinking altogether for the last 6 months of 2024. I often had problems with moderation in social situations and would...
I've had some long-running (albeit minor) issues with alcohol, but stopped drinking altogether for the last 6 months of 2024. I often had problems with moderation in social situations and would sometimes drink too much without thinking. At home, I would never drink during the week but would usually have 1 - 4 drinks on the weekend. I didn't like that habit and the feeling like I needed to drink to relax, so I tried going cold turkey for a while. Quitting was nice overall, but sometimes made social situations a little tricky.
I did have a glass of wine with dinner on new year's eve and a glass of champaign later, so I guess my streak is over. The problem I have now is I don't know what I'm doing; I could easily see myself slipping back into old habits without a plan. I don't think I want to be totally sober, but I need to work on preventing one drink turning into three or four every time I'm out.
Drinking out has gotten insanely expensive, crappy beers can be like 10 dollars a glass at some places. Cocktails with a single small shot sometimes north of 20-30 bucks. People can't afford to pay 100+ bucks to get drunk. I don't drink that much but it's not because of any conscious abstinence, it's because I'm a frugal person and can't stand to spend a 500% markup on something that I know has like 58 cents worth of alcohol in it. If I'm going to get drunk it's going to be with a 25 dollar bottle from the liquor store at a party with friends.
Where are you drinking??? I've been to 3 Michelin star restaurants with top-shelf call drinks cheaper than that! It's definitely cheaper to drink at home, but those prices are insane.
Edit: Is it Canada? I know there's a legal limit on alcohol per drink in Canada, and the Canadian dollar always makes things a bit more expensive.
In the Bay Area it can easily be $20 for a cocktail. The alcohol is there, but the uncommon or house-made ingredients are often the star of the show. Once you're using an essence of fresh lavender steeped in gin, or ginger-infused salt, or whatever, the prices start to detach from the already high alcohol markup, and it also starts to be much less about the alcohol in the first place.
Drink prices are kind of all over the place IMO. I’ve paid $14 for a fancy cocktail in the Bay Area, and I’ve seen a friend of mine pay $20 for a “cocktail” at a dive bar in SoCal which consisted of an energy drink can plopped upside down into a glass filled with ice and booze.
I’ve also stopped going out for drinks due to cost, but still occasionally like going to the local bar or brewery for special occasions, and my best advice is to just look at menu prices before committing.
I get that, I've paid for a $22 modern tiki drink from a restaurant I particularly like. Maybe I misunderstood "north of 20-30 bucks" and the intent was "in the $20-30 range" which I get for HCOL areas.
I'd say the average in SF is more like $15-18 though. Smuggler's Cove - which is a world famous rum bar with excellent drinks - has most drinks at $15 or $16. But some spots do have drinks around $23. Maybe I'm not going to fancy enough places because I've never seen anything here close to $30.
I'd agree that the average is still sub-$20, but think that the overall sentiment of OP is true even if the numbers quoted were hyperbolic. If you want to drink to drink, cocktails in bars or restaurants are really expensive for the amount of alcohol you get.
Prices for anything in the Bay Area are not representative of the rest of the country, at all. They can't be used to explain nation-wide trends. If you can actually afford to live in Silicon Valley, $20 for a cocktail isn't a big deal.
The Bay Area =/= Silicon Valley. There are a lot of people not really making that much in the bay, especially in the smaller and more obscure towns and areas. Granted, it's much harder than it used to be for them, especially post-COVID, but there are still way more people that can scrape by and afford to stay in the Bay but really cannot afford a $20 cocktail
Even then, for those more well off, it's not usually just one $20 cocktail, it's at least a few per person to go out just for one night. Add in tips and taxes and that can become a serious financial burden very quickly if you want to go out with any regularity.
On business travel last year in Dallas and Las Vegas hotels I encountered $24 and $26 drinks, just one shot of middle-shelf bourbon and ginger ale.
The last time I went to Vegas my husband bought a “large format” drink that is supposed to be for more than one person for $60. But it was so watered down that it was probably the same amount of alcohol as a regular drink. The markup was largely for the performance aspect because the cup had dry ice in it.
Our prices are the same as the US, just with CAD. A CA$10 beer here was US$10 in Manhattan when I went last year. Cocktails are $15-20 as well. Same amount of alcohol too. If anything, our beers seem to be slightly stronger on average.
I've seen places with $25 cocktails but those are places in the most expensive district of the most expensive city taking advantage of the extremely high population of finance bros in the neighbourhood. Or at sports venues.
US people: consider Canada as a vacation destination. You can eat and drink amazing stuff for basically a 40% discount, especially if you go to Montreal.
I don't drink anymore but I sometimes glance at the drink menu, at most sit down restaurants here in the Canadian prairies (lower CoL than either coast) you're usually looking at 6$ for a domestic beer, 8-10$ for imports, 10-12$ for a "simple cocktail" (old fashioned, margarita, whiskey sour, etc), 14-20$ for more complex cocktails like signature drinks, seasonal flavours, etc.
Price is so significant that I almost never drink when out unless the booze is free. Historically for me that usually meant work-related events, including just restaurants where the it was going to be expensed.
The strong majority of my alcohol consumption now, probably about a drink per week, comes from that I took up home brewing. I started the hobby for fun rather than cost though. While it does seem to normally be cheaper than just buying alcohol I drank at home so rarely prior that I'm almost certainly spending more money on the hobby than I'm saving.
I'm a millennial but I have found myself drinking less and less as I've gotten older. I used to love kicking back at night and having a few drinks. Getting drunk with friends and stuff.
But lately I have no desire to drink alone. I drink so little when with friends, one maybe two beers or drinks and I'm done. Getting drunk just doesn't do it for me anymore.
And it's not about money or the caloric intake, though it is nice to not have to worry about those, is just not as enjoyable as it was ten or fifteen years ago.
I don't know why.
Same. I’ve just started enjoying how I feel sober more than how I feel when inebriated, regardless of the substance. Besides one glass of wine a week with pasta, I’ve just completely stopped drinking both alcohol and thc and I don’t really miss it.
Same. I definitely had a lot of fun through college and into mid twenties with a lot of drinking, and I don't discount that. Lots of cherished memories from then (and some cherished but more foggy memories).
But now a few things are different. First, the couple of times since that i've had 4 or 5 beers/drinks I realize that I can say stupid things and not recover well, and I'm not as funny (as judged by me). Second, my body just can't take it. I don't know if drinking less reduces my tolerance so it's self perpetuating, but my body feels wrecked now with even 2 high-alcohol beers. My friends make fun of me and my "hurting bones", but it's true. And I hate feeling like the next day is wasted with just recovering.
Now, as a parent, I don't have a day i can just sit around nursing a hangover. And it also means I'm not out downtown drinking, or anywhere that requires a car. I don't like uber/lyft services, and I'm not going to drive after 2 beers over handful of hours (and even 2 is...not my favorite though realistically it's fine). Having a kid really distilled my thinking about risk.
As a fellow millennial most of my drinking is social now too, like a beer or two when meeting up with old friends sort of thing. I’ll occasionally grab one on random Friday evenings at home, but it’s pretty infrequent. I’d estimate 1-3 drinks per 3 months, with the warm months being more frequent and cold months being less.
I'm not about to say that I drink more now than when I was younger, but while I really appreciate my sober reality, I've found myself reeeally appreciating a nice whisky neat while working on repetitive creative tasks.
At 40, having a 6 oz cup of something while I draw, build a PC or whatever else is great and the temporary buzz is stimulating in ways that it never was before.
For me, it's about sleep and what I'm doing with my time.
I often think, "I should have a drink tonight.", but when tonight rolls around, I know I won't be able to sleep well if I have that drink. I know that I won't do the things I might want to do after the kids are in bed (play a videogame, for example) because I'll be too tired after my drink.
I still like drinking and do occasionally have a couple, but I don't really get drunk like I used to. I had two beers out at dinner the other night on NYE and thought, "I could continue drinking when I get home." and then goot home, drank tea and relaxed instead.
My wife stopped drinking last year when she got pregnant and I stopped drinking with her. Other than a trip in Japan (I absolutely love drinking draft beer in Japan), I have had almost no desire to start drinking again. Money and calories is definitely a huge plus for me though! Even better I realize now how bad I feel the next day after drinking. It's like when I realized I felt like a had a cold the next day if I bummed a cigarette while drinking the night before, I never smoked again after that.
I am enjoying all the new and higher quality non alcoholic beers. I went to a bar with friends the other day and the bar was actually sold out of NA beers!
I think this article misses a possible explanation: there’s a lot more competition in the substance category.
Kinda like how movie theaters are dying: people still watch movies, but there are home streaming options, and many other compelling home entertainment options like video games.
Vapes are super, super popular with young people as a social ‘substance’. Marijuana and derivative products are also super popular and increasingly legal. So too are other drugs.
Cannabis is both much more readily available and nowhere near as stigmatized as it used to be. I'm an elder millennial and I find most people in my peer group view marijuana as less harmful than alcohol, with many of us also finding it more enjoyable. There's no way it hasn't displaced some amount of alcohol consumption, I know it has for me.
Especially when one of the first things you get point when you're looking at substance effects and combinations is what not to mix and alcohol is a no mixer for almost everything
One of my social groups are always stocked with soju, alcoholic seltzers, and ketamine lol. There are definitely other drugs, like you mention, but I think alcohol is really the footnote. I can't recall anyone being excited to show off what alcohol they brought except maybe me.
Many here are citing the price of alcohol and the availability of alternative substances, but I suspect that this goes beyond simple economics and is actually a cultural shift.
For eight years, I worked on a farm in Australia (a nation noted for its drinking culture) in a deeply rural area with a high availability of alcohol (it's a big area for wine, cider, and beer production). I worked alongside a team made of mostly of blue collar men of various ages — from strapping young farm boys just out of high school (note that 18 is the legal drinking age in Australia), up to sinewy old farmers with decades of hard physical work under their belts.
Free alcohol was served at our annual Christmas parties (some of them even took place at local cideries and wineries) and here is what I observed:
Every single person born before 1975/1980-ish drank whatever alcohol was available to them, some of them even to the point of becoming embarrassingly tipsy in front of their coworkers. Every single person born after 1990/1995-ish did not drink at all — not the lightest beer, and not even a tiny sip at a wine or cider tasting — even when some of the older people tried to pressure them to drink. People in between those ages were divided: some drank a fair bit, some drank not at all, but most only did cursory taste tests and did not finish their drinks.
The difference was stark. Everyone noticed it.
Alternate take: Gen Z is drinking less as a response to a decade of restaurants and bars leaning on increasing markups to paper over increasing costs of doing business. With increasing alcohol costs, economic uncertainty, and income disparity, younger people are turning to less expensive entertainments. If you can buy a video game that will entertain you for a hundred hours for the price of a beer, alcohol is just being outcompeted by other ways to kill time.
I would expect this to mean people choose to drink at home more than out at bars and restaurants.
I think cannabis is a more likely explainer as to why young people are drinking less on the whole.
I think drinking at home isn't appealing if you're looking for the socialization/going out factor, and for gen z, they're more likely to be stuck in less than ideal living situations (living with their parents, too many roommates, very small place, far away from things, etc) that make drinking at home not a particularly fun experience. I think you're right about cannabis, and it definitely makes more sense as a drug choice for those situations.
But cannabis numbers are also down.
EDIT (Among Gen Z, specifically.)
Recreational cannabis use has been trending upwards as states have been legalizing it
That meta study is looking at the whole population. From your link:
(Acronym expansions mine.)
I'm a millennial and have stopped drinking altogether. I already cut down a lot in the past few years and still could see myself enjoying a glass of whiskey every now and then but even two drinks in a day makes me feel noticeably bad almost immediately and for a while after. Whereas I used to feel invincible. It wrecks my body now.
And ever since one last time I had with alcohol and felt awful even drinking lightly, I decided for my general wellbeing and overall health it was time to even give up the occasional single drink. Just not worth it anymore. I had my fun and don't regret it but I've lost interest. I've moved on to tea and coffee and other things
I thought I might give in during the holidays or tough moments but I've stuck it out so far and never plan to go back. Most of the desire has actually fully left me. I think of alcohol and immediately feel a tinge of a phantom headache or sensation that reminds me of the last time I had it, and that was months and months ago
I'm a millennial and was never big into drinking to begin with, but I totally get this. It astounds me that a single beer or cocktail can cost as much as a 6 pack or bottle of liquor (albeit a low-shelf one). I enjoy the occasional drink on a special occasion but I'm hard pressed to get one from your typical restaurant.
I've had some long-running (albeit minor) issues with alcohol, but stopped drinking altogether for the last 6 months of 2024. I often had problems with moderation in social situations and would sometimes drink too much without thinking. At home, I would never drink during the week but would usually have 1 - 4 drinks on the weekend. I didn't like that habit and the feeling like I needed to drink to relax, so I tried going cold turkey for a while. Quitting was nice overall, but sometimes made social situations a little tricky.
I did have a glass of wine with dinner on new year's eve and a glass of champaign later, so I guess my streak is over. The problem I have now is I don't know what I'm doing; I could easily see myself slipping back into old habits without a plan. I don't think I want to be totally sober, but I need to work on preventing one drink turning into three or four every time I'm out.
Are non-alcoholic drinks an option? If you just like the taste?
Mirror: https://archive.is/haaw9