Something fascinating is happening. In the past few years, research has shown that today, young adults are drinking less alcohol than previous decades. I started noticing this trend on social media with young people talking about how drinking doesn’t fit their lives. Whoa. Back when social media first hit our world, all the content shared seemed to center around drinking! You couldn’t scroll through The Facebook without seeing your high school classmates with a bottle in hand. Alcohol use disorders have been passed along in my family for several generations so I can’t help wonder, could this be the start of a massive drop in alcoholism?
Understanding the factors contributing to this shift could be the key for continuing to decrease alcoholism in the United States, resulting in better mental and emotional health, fewer broken families, and ultimately, fewer children of alcoholics. Nothing makes me smile bigger than the thought that the world is changing in this way. As an adult child of an alcoholic, I don’t want anyone to share my experience.
So what are the reasons for this, and most importantly, what does this mean for the future? Here’s what you need to know:
Why Are Young People Not Drinking Alcohol?
More young people are choosing to not drink alcohol than ever before–but why? Although there are likely many factors that contribute to the decrease in alcohol drinkers, here are a few reasons that are playing a role:
Increased Risk Awareness
As technology use has increased over the years, so has the public’s access to information. Today, more people are aware of the dangers of drinking alcohol than ever before, which likely serves as a deterrent from drinking. Some of these dangers include significant health risks, hindered ability to make decisions, emotional and mental health repercussions, and negative, lasting effects on the families of alcoholics. I often wonder how differently I would have lived if I’d been educated about addiction but I didn’t have access to the information until it showed up on the internet when I was in my 20s.
While historically, folks were way less educated on the effects of alcohol, today’s accessibility to information has likely contributed to the decrease in drinking among young people today. When you get educated about what alcohol does to the brain and your whole body, it changes your whole view. You realize that the way alcohol is shown in advertisements and in movies and TV hides the realities of addiction.
Shifting Racial Demographics
Another factor contributing to the decrease in alcohol consumption among younger people is the shift in racial demographics occurring in the United States. The number of non-white Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 has risen dramatically in recent years, nearly doubling in only two decades.
Research shows that white Americans are significantly more likely to consume alcohol than non-white Americans. Based on data from 2021 to 2023, only 57% of non-white Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 drink, compared to 66% of white Americans in the same age range, a 9% difference. As the United States becomes an increasingly diverse country, alcohol consumption among young adults is steadily decreasing.
Generational Differences
Finally, generational differences may also help to explain the decrease in drinking among today’s young adults compared to generations before them. Whether due to the impact of world events, access to technology, or other factors, there have always been generational differences in alcohol consumption. For example, research shows that Baby Boomers (the generation of adults born between 1946 and 1964), are more likely to drink than the generation before them (the Silent Generation). Today, members of Gen Z consume approximately 20% less alcohol than millennials did at the same age, making it apparent that generational differences are contributing to the likelihood of drinking alcohol. Some people are quick share that they believe young people have simply replaced alcohol use with marijuana and other drugs. I do not know the statistics on that claim.
What Does This Mean For the Future?
Regardless of the reasons that alcohol consumption is decreasing in the United States, this can only lead to greater positive outcomes than ever before. As fewer individuals choose to drink alcohol, there are fewer people with substance abuse disorders, a greater reduction in mental health crises, and an overall healthier population.
A drop in alcoholic use disorders means there will be fewer adult children of alcoholics and a more promising future for families that have been trapped in an alcoholic use disorder cycle for generations.
What do you think about this trend? Let me know in the comments!
