Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen Z is indeed drinking far less and most of them view drinking more than 2 drinks in a night as cringe. lol

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2025/09/03/gen-z-drinking-less-alcohol-social-media-gallup-health-concerns-economy/85936352007/

Let's be honest, a lot of youth drinking was for a social lubricant, to lower your anxiety and cold approach peers in bars and parties. That's literally not happening anymore. Kids are courting with the opposite sex on dating and social media apps and through text. You don't need a buzz to text someone. It's easy.

Actually, I don't think kids date anymore at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is gaining steam, as multiple reasons come to play at the same time:

- legalization of weed, but this is leading to increase of gummies (some without THC) on the market

- better tasting NA beers, wines

- Wegovy/Ozempic increase in popularity, has a well known side effect of decreasing the desire and craving for alcohol

With that said, I think some of the sobriety popularity is limited to pockets of the population. When I go back to where I grew up, breweries and bars still have a very large presence.

Those trendy craft brewery bar and restaurants are closing at a rapid clip.

Leads to less social interaction. Not necessarily a good thing. People become shut-ins or spend all night on DCUM.

Then maybe those trendy craft breweries and restaurants should have introduced more non alcoholic options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unemployed and underemployed recent grads will end up drinking more, especially as the economy contracts.

I wear an Apple Watch 24hrs a day. I’ve never checked how anything I consume changes my heart rate. It tracks my runs. Only weirdos perseverate on health data to the granular level you describe.

Nope. It's cool to be sober. Drinking is what corny gen X parents and boomer grandparents do. Sober, clear headed, lots of sleep, fitness freaks, eating clean, hustle and grind mode 24/7.

Have you seen all the fat kids? Stroll through a SLAC campus. The S in SLAC stands for slob.

Anonymous wrote:Unemployed and underemployed recent grads will end up drinking more, especially as the economy contracts.

I wear an Apple Watch 24hrs a day. I’ve never checked how anything I consume changes my heart rate. It tracks my runs. Only weirdos perseverate on health data to the granular level you describe.

Nope. It's cool to be sober. Drinking is what corny gen X parents and boomer grandparents do. Sober, clear headed, lots of sleep, fitness freaks, eating clean, hustle and grind mode 24/7.

Unemployed and underemployed recent grads will end up drinking more, especially as the economy contracts.

I wear an Apple Watch 24hrs a day. I’ve never checked how anything I consume changes my heart rate. It tracks my runs. Only weirdos perseverate on health data to the granular level you describe.

Anonymous wrote:Gen Z is indeed drinking far less and most of them view drinking more than 2 drinks in a night as cringe. lol

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2025/09/03/gen-z-drinking-less-alcohol-social-media-gallup-health-concerns-economy/85936352007/

Let's be honest, a lot of youth drinking was for a social lubricant, to lower your anxiety and cold approach peers in bars and parties. That's literally not happening anymore. Kids are courting with the opposite sex on dating and social media apps and through text. You don't need a buzz to text someone. It's easy.

Most people I know who were drinkers and have cut back have indeed traded it for edibles, or less commonly, the THC seltzers.

I think fitness trackers have a lot to do with it. Along with the "simple sugars are bad" message.

With the fitness trackers, you can no longer ignore that even one drink drives up your resting heart rate that night and drives down your heart rate variability (indicator of workout capacity) for the next day. Also drives up your respiratory rate.

If you have a whoop, garmin, apple watch, etc., you can no longer be ignorant of these facts. Combine this with the fact that these same people usually would not sit around drinking sugary soda, and have finally realized that alcoholic drinks have similar simple-carb calories.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is gaining steam, as multiple reasons come to play at the same time:

- legalization of weed, but this is leading to increase of gummies (some without THC) on the market

- better tasting NA beers, wines

- Wegovy/Ozempic increase in popularity, has a well known side effect of decreasing the desire and craving for alcohol

With that said, I think some of the sobriety popularity is limited to pockets of the population. When I go back to where I grew up, breweries and bars still have a very large presence.

Those trendy craft brewery bar and restaurants are closing at a rapid clip.

Leads to less social interaction. Not necessarily a good thing. People become shut-ins or spend all night on DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged 40+ and older affluent men within earshot were asking about 0% beers. These are the type of men who’d be drinking either wine their wife at dinner or a draft IPA, bourbon or scotch.

April is long past dry January.

Science is catching up.

No. It’s the proliferation of weed and good old fashioned arrogance regarding a lack of necessity for alcohol…. Because they have weed.

This.
First alcohol
Then Weed
Then Ozempic
Then Cocaine or Meth
And finally Fent/CarFent

Gen Z is indeed drinking far less and most of them view drinking more than 2 drinks in a night as cringe. lol

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2025/09/03/gen-z-drinking-less-alcohol-social-media-gallup-health-concerns-economy/85936352007/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged 40+ and older affluent men within earshot were asking about 0% beers. These are the type of men who’d be drinking either wine their wife at dinner or a draft IPA, bourbon or scotch.

April is long past dry January.

Science is catching up.

No. It’s the proliferation of weed and good old fashioned arrogance regarding a lack of necessity for alcohol…. Because they have weed.

This. Drinkies became stoners because it's cheaper overall for younger people with less money to stay baked on weed than drunk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged 40+ and older affluent men within earshot were asking about 0% beers. These are the type of men who’d be drinking either wine their wife at dinner or a draft IPA, bourbon or scotch.

April is long past dry January.

Science is catching up.

No. It’s the proliferation of weed and good old fashioned arrogance regarding a lack of necessity for alcohol…. Because they have weed.

You’re in serious denial. The sober addicted to fitness white collars are not addicted to weed instead of boozing. Weed is more degenerate and trashy than boozing to that crowd.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle aged 40+ and older affluent men within earshot were asking about 0% beers. These are the type of men who’d be drinking either wine their wife at dinner or a draft IPA, bourbon or scotch.

April is long past dry January.

Science is catching up.

No. It’s the proliferation of weed and good old fashioned arrogance regarding a lack of necessity for alcohol…. Because they have weed.