I think there is a big back lash against alcohol happening

[toepick]

It used to be common place to post pictures of drink but now it seems a bit taboo

More and more public figures on SM denouncing alcohol

It's become almost trendy to be alcohol free
Less of a boozing culture amongst young people

Could alcohol become a thing of the past?

When I was young it was completely acceptable and not really questioned to get wasted every weekend. Now I realise how toxic that is even if it seemed fun at times.

No, humans have been drinking alcohol for thousands of years. Since prehistory. Many animals seek out fermenting fruit, which we were presumably doing before we worked out how to create the right conditions ourselves.

We're not about to stop drinking alcohol in the 21st century because of social media.

I don't regret any of the drunken nights I've had and no objection to having them again but mostly don't really drink
Nobody notices because if I say go to the pub with colleagues, I'll have a drink but that might be my only one in 6 months or a year
Never drink at home. Rather have cake for the calories

I do think it's becoming more commonplace for people to choose to be alcohol free. And zero drinks are a lot better and a lot easier to come by now, so that's helping! Personally it's a change I welcome.

Apparently statistics show that younger people are more frequently choosing not to drink.

I had a problematic relationship with alcohol and quit a couple of years ago. My partner quit, partly to support me but also felt his own relationship with alcohol wasn't great.

We are both feeling the benefits, and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to give it a try! You can go back to drinking any time you like, but I would say many people might surprise themselves with how good it feels to be long term sober, once the initial difficulties of changing habits, possible cravings etc are overcome.

God knows wouldn't judge anybody for drinking (how could I, given the drinking I used to do myself?) unless their drinking led them to harm others.

However, I must admit feeling judgemental a little while ago when a poster on here said it would be an immediate "no" for her to a date if the potential suitor didn't drink. Even if they were fine with her drinking, happy to go to pubs etc, she asserted she simply would not be willing to date somebody who did not themselves consume alcohol. Hands up, I thought that was a troubling attitude.

But that's probably a pretty unusual stance to take....

The cost to the NHS and economy of alcohol is £27 billion per year yet there is only £12 billion raised in alcohol taxes.

Therefore the tax on alcohol should go up, preferably by just bringing supermarket prices into line with pub prices to ensure that not even more pubs close.

It's great for people like me in recovery. It's still on every single bloody end aisle in the supermarkets and at the entrance too though. I wish it was in separate shops like Australia or at least just in one aisle.

It depends. My 18 yr old DC doesn’t really drink (for now) but seems to spend a lot of time helping friends back up after they’ve vomited in bins.

From observing the younger generation of my family I think there are a lot more drugs around than when I was young. I also think a fairly large proportion avoid all substances and have a healthy lifestyle.

Pretty sure this started in the 1990s and is inextricably linked to drug use. I've no idea whether the fit, young grass-juice drinkers are doing oddly-named pharmaceuticals after their run/weights/climbing sessions. My mates and I managed demanding jobs and daily gym workouts alongside industrial quantities of alcohol and not a little cocaine, so it's not unlikely.

You wouldn't have thought that if, like me, you'd been out in my city on Saturday. All the pubs were absolutely packed with everyone drinking a lot of alcohol.

I took my dog for a walk on Monday morning and passed a pile of sick outside 3 different pubs so drink definitely featured for the football match on Sunday night 🤢

I barely drink - maybe 2-3 times a year. I've never had much interest in feeling dizzy and sick.

The young people who party in the back flat most weekends don't seem to have realised this 😂

My facebook feed is full of women in their 50's posting alcoholic drinks, I admit I do feel that is deeply uncool ( while accepting that my cool days are long past). I have to say it makes me shudder when my friend just put of chemo for breast cancer does this- what is she thinking of ? I am trying very hard to drink ever less frequently, it is definitely true that the less you drink the less you want it. Unfortunately an awful lot of social situations still seem to revolve around drinking....

I've never drunk loads, never had a hangover, and now will have one glass of wine when I go out for dinner, and never drink at any other time. I don't do drugs, either.

I divorced an alcoholic and have no respect at all for heavy drinkers. He put us through hell. Not interested in anyone that wants to take/ingest any mood altering substance. I suppose I'm quite clean living!

Cocaine use is widespread. It’s far less expensive now then when I was young.

I’ve not noticed a change at all really to be honest.

I’ve noticed a change. I work with a lot of young people and they say they don’t really drink or go out. They do smoke weed though as it’s cheaper

In my teens the best weekends were the ones I can remember nothing about.
😉😁😁

Quit years ago and unlikely to ever drink again, life is overall much better without booze. Disappointing that drugs are more common, given their provenance (child exploitation, county lines, sex trafficking, violence, etc). I can't stand drugs and do judge anyone who contributes to the success of criminal gangs by consuming their product.

I also think the fact everyone has a camera in their pocket is encouraging a life of healthy sobriety among many. A stranger's video of your bad dancing can go viral and been seen by millions before breakfast the next day, or the image of you asleep on the tube could be a meme that's used for a decade.

Jeremy Clarkson (everyone's favourite person) has bought a pub.
He was saying in his Times article that people who work from home should go to the local pub for lunch - that way socialise and chat rather than stay home alone all day. I think he has a point.
I can't go to the pub at night as there is no public transport but I could call in at lunchtime for a drink or even two.

They have just switched ro drugs, I go to alot of festivals and this is what I see they may have one or two drinks but it's all about the drugs.

The 'youth' I work with are very judgmental of alcohol and are very quick to point out how unhealthy and expensive it is.....they all do coke at the weekend instead!!

I don't drink except for Christmas day, when I'll have a baileys. My father drank alot and it's put me off alcohol. My siblings are the same and rarely drink. I noticed people is previous generations including mine drank alot. But generations after mine, seem to be tee total. I think it's good health wise. However the young adults today who I know, seem to find drugs acceptable.

Young people are also skint. DS 23 and his friends a weekend treat is a takeaway a couple of craft beers in his flat or theirs. Otherwise they don't drink at all during the week.

Clarkson is a ridiculous man. I've never had just going to the pub for lunch and a couple of pints as a regular thing (occasionally used to do it at work but more often with soft drinks) so why would I do it when I work from home? Unless I get a sudden desire to empty my wallet and gain weight I can't see it happening. One of the huge benefits of working from home for me is being able to eat healthy, freshly prepared food and not having to rely on buying food elsewhere which won't be as nice, good or balanced. And it's much easier to spend an hour in the gym if I'm not taking three hours out of my day travelling.