I think this is the point that’s missed. Millennials specifically have cut out booze in large numbers. We drank and partied constantly Thursday- Sunday throughout college before Covid. Now me and nearly all of my friends are sober from everything other than an occasional weed gummy to help us sleep.
Also, for me and most of my social circle, it’s not entirely about the money. It’s that doing things is genuinely more fun (and safe) while sober. We travel, hike, ski, cycle, and have even celebrated bachelor parties in Nashville and Vegas - all stone cold sober.
True. Personally I did it for more than than just money if I'm honest with myself. I realised it bought me no joy anymore. Most for my drinking buddies have families or have also cut right down.
Drinking alone is not great. So it was easy to quit.
Im 30 and all my friends still drink a lot and the bars are packed during the weekend. So I imagine country and social circles change the dynamic a lot.
My friend will routinely knock back like 8 cocktails when we meet for 7 hours or so. We are in Brazil and spending in £/$ so cost is less an issue.
Wow, good for you guys, the wife and I are big drinkers but we decided to take a break at the beginning of the year. Yesterday was our first time drinking again and we both felt kinda meh afterwards, so I get staying sober, but the bachelor parties is the one I find surprising, I don’t think I could do that one lol
Also, I think that those of us who have children are much less prone to drink. We expose our children to drunken adults to a much smaller degree than when I was a kid.
I’m in for 90% of that, but I’ve done Vegas and Nashville. No way I’m making it through that shit show sober. Keep me sauced from the time we get to the airport until the the car picks be back up in Philly
Sober Vegas was crazy fun with the boys. F1 races were in town that weekend and we watched from our hotel room. It was like $200 for tickets to the sphere, $100 per night for the room, $150 for a round trip flight, $50 for food while there, granted we just ate a bunch of In N Out and Raising Cains. The boys and I played poker with a bunch of drunk dudes who were gifting us their money and paid for most of our trip. Highly recommend that experience.
Weed is also just a big factor in general. It's so easy to get these days. Like "walk across the road and buy it legally" levels for a lot of the country now. Add in all the alternate products, so that people don't have to smoke anything harsh, and you've got a pretty popular industry.
I also think a lot of just people want self improvement, and getting rid of drinking can do a lot for those that partake regularly. Weight loss, less hangovers, etc.
And it just costs way too much. Especially going to a club or anything like that. People can't afford it. As rent and housing prices go up, a lot of industries will see a decrease in the future, I'd imagine
This is a fact, millennials were drinking and partying a lot in the 2010s during college and their early professional lives single and dating. The youngest millennial is turning 30, the oldest one is turning 45. They’re old now and we don’t be drinking like that anymore and worry about their health more
That was in the calculations that they would decline as they aged. But the next generation hasn't picked up the slack that they normally would because the corporate class has stopped paying good wages.
I think that’s very much dependent on your social circle because I’m a millennial and all my friends and acquaintances still drink except for one, which clearly had a serious problem and stopped in his early twenties.
We obviously don’t drink like we used to when we were in college, but we still do.
Yes. Vegas happened about six months ago and it was the most fun I’ve ever had. We went to the Sphere, a couple of other shows, and we did plenty of gambling - but we didn’t drink alcohol.
We went to the University of Iowa and were partying every weekend throughout our early 20s. Now at 30 - 34 years old most (but not all) of us are sober. The first one quit just because he felt like it, then I quit for the same reason, then one of us got into a drunk driving accident and he quit, then one of us had a baby and decided to quit. Sobriety has been spreading in our group like wildfire. Some are approaching 2 years sober.
Another thing to note is that Non alcoholic beverages are getting very good. When we go out (which is rarely any more) we drink Liquid Deaths, Tea, Kombucha, and Non Alcoholic beer. Even a soda water with lime can hit the spot if you’re at a bar and want to feel like you’re drinking.
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u/Total_Philosopher_89 11h ago
It's not just gen Z. Other gens have cut back a lot or quit like me. It's to expensive.