are people drinking less booze?

[toooooo]

posting for traffic... just curious

there seems to be a big cultural shift towards people drinking less and being more responsible with alcohol.

i have read about it but also am wondering if it's just my age (late 30s) and being a parent etc or if it's a real cultural shift that others are aware of?

my own drinking has been steadily declining for a long time. That said I still have the odd mad night out once in a while! but I am much more aware of the negative implications of drinking these days. It doesn't seem to be glamourised or normalised as much.

What do others think? Is it my age / situation? A cultural thing? Both? Neither?

I went off alcohol totally for 6 months at the start of last year, it just wasn't appealing to me. Since then I have had the occasional drink but not often unless we are away on holiday where I will drink every day, even if it's just one. I can live without it these days.

We've still got most of the drink we bought for Christmas .

It's just not something we're bothered about.

I think you are right op it’s an age thing.

I am 50 and most of my friends 40/50/60 drink far more than their children and grandchildren.

Interesting thread

It's definitely going down, there's studies to prove it.
I think with millenials and younger people they don't have the cash to spend but also value real connections with people so maybe want to be sober when having them?

I drink; all the people I know drink, we’re all 28-33 ish. My mum and dad don’t, they’re late fifties. I know there are studies about 18 year olds not drinking as much but my 18yo cousins and SIL and all their friends do too. The majoroty of social and cultural things I see centre around drink often, cocktails, prosecco, gin. Boozy brunches. Cocktail hour. I haven’t noticed a shift at all. However..
Millenials and younger people value real connections with people so don’t drink...? Wth does that rubbish mean?

That millenials and younger generation generally find other things when connecting with people then going out and getting plastered? What else would it mean?

Ahh ok, a load of tosh then. Only younger people want amd understand real connections
I do think though, OP, that the way in which people drink has changed. At home vs out for example

Didn't say that did I though?
I said that could be a factor in a reduction of people drinking.

But anyway yes OP it has been shown less people are drinking now

I used to work in a health food shop and so many of our customers were young, active, teetotal vegans. Denying yourself is the new excess. Millennials seem to impress each other by being as puritanical as possible, living off keffir water alone if possible.
On a slightly more serious note, I think getting trashed is seen as trashy (Geordie Shore etc) and also something done by the older generations (the women that were the ladettes in the 90's.) I just don't drink because it makes me even sleepier (and I can use those calories for biscuits.)

I think you're right. I'm the same age as you OP and I've noticed my 20yo niece barely goes out, same with her friends, maybe one every three months. And they're very normal fun-loving extrovert types. When I was her age (actually from about 17) we'd be out twice a week, taking endless shots, drinking until we were nearly sick. Then every year from 18 to about 23 we went on 2-week long 18-30 holidays, boozing 24/7 for two weeks. Then weekends away in between. My niece has been away for 4-night breaks in Ibiza a couple of times and that's about it.

Our once vibrant city also only now had 1 nightclub and a handful of bars, and from what people tell me (I never go out now, by choice!) it's always quiet.

It's any wonder me and my friends haven't got pickled insides the decline of drink is a good thing, I do wonder if the distraction of social media has anything to do with it. As in are people sitting in on their phones picking filters rather than going out? There was no social media when I was a drinker

I also think it's total rubbish that younger people value connections more. I think the opposite - I don't think young people do know how to connect to one another anymore and be their authentic selves. It seems to all be about creating the illusion of a happier/better/different life 🤷‍♀️ the most real connections I've ever made have usually revolved round drinking TBF!

Dito OP. I used to drink quite a lot. Probably every weekend. It's slowly decreased over the last maybe year or so. Had the odd night where I've drank to much which has put me off drinking for months. I used to smoke, then I only smoked while drinking then I stopped all together and tbh the novelty of drinking wore off when I stopped smoking. Weird.

Last year there were reports that young people are drinking less than their older counterparts -

www.theguardian.com/society/datablog/2017/may/06/more-than-a-quarter-of-young-adults-in-the-uk-do-not-drink-alcohol-in-data

I also think the economy isn’t great at the moment so people have less disposable income - and so don’t drink in pubs/clubs as much now. They’re more like to get a bottle of wine in at home.

The statistics say that alcohol consumption only increased in the 50-64 year old, age group. But the rest were about the same.

I think more people are drinking at home. I put that partly down to decent pubs closing and of course finances.

I'd say, in my area and the peers of my Adult children are doing more drugs than we did, but drinking less.

My daughter is in her 20's and she doesn't drink. She used to, the whole Ibiza scene holidays and weekly clubbing until she turned 21 and then just stopped because she hated how it made her feel. She still socialises but is happy to be the designated driver.

I think 40's plus generations are used to socialising physically and collectively and pubs and drinking were a huge part of that.

Younger generations are more used to socialising virtually online or individually focused via the gym. Therefore alcohol consumption is less important. Our town has seen the number of pubs decrease dramatically and the ones that are succeeding are those focused on real ale - and probably an older audience.

But many young people are choosing other drugs over alcohol as well.

I think there is less drinking in pubs now,they are not so much a place to socialize as they were.I do think there is a lot more drinking at home though.
When I was in my twenties we met at pubs and the newly invented wine bars.Wine at home was a rarity and got is we were meeting at so.eones house before heading off,1 bottle between 4 of us.
Now we don't go out but drink at home.
If someone could tell us what the alcohol sales are from supermarkets and other outlets I doubt that they would be reporting dropping sales.

I think you're right. Studies show that young people today are drinking far less, and far less often, than older generations did at the same age. I think there has been a cultural shift and drinking is no longer seem as the only or even most important way to socialise. People are as likely now to go to a fancy coffee place, or a bakery, or a class. I also think that 'craft' alcohol is having such a moment that people drink less, but better quality.