Recent emerging evidence indicates that young Australians, especially among Gen Z and Millennials are drinking less. This major change in America’s drinking habits is historic. Michael Livingston, an associate professor of alcohol research at Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute, directed a new study that aimed to dig deeper into these trends. He was joined by NCETA’s Gianluca Di Censo and Kirrily Thompson.
In 2001 about 70 per cent of Australians aged from 14 to 17 said they had drunk alcohol in the last year. That number has plummeted down to less than 30 percent in recent years. This is the first peer-reviewed study confirming that younger generations are drinking less than those that have come before them. They are often less willing to take risks, too.
Gen Z Australians are drinking an average of eight fewer standard drinks a week than Boomers, and Millennials are getting in on the action too. This lasting change in drinking behavior is expected to continue for the rest of their lives, meaning a permanent cultural shift.
“The trend of reduced drinking among young people is a public health win,” Livingston stated. He found that today’s young adults have drastically decreased participation in risk-taking behaviors. These actions recently became a path into adulthood.
“Young people are much more risk-averse now than they were 20 years ago.” – Michael Livingston
Researchers wrote that going alcohol-free is becoming more normalized. They worry about the unprecedented rise of mental health crises and anxiety among children and young adults.
The reasons people are drinking less make a lot of sense, and that’s obviously not a positive result, Livingston added.
Kirrily Thompson, one of the study’s authors, said this reflects a change in social attitudes towards drinking.
“For decades, alcohol has been deeply embedded in social life, but that’s changing.” – Kirrily Thompson
Thompson explained that younger Australians are setting the tone for socialising and celebrating without revolving around alcohol.
“Younger Australians are redefining what it means to socialise and celebrate, and they’re doing it with less alcohol.” – Kirrily Thompson
Di Censo pointed out that this transition is not occurring only in Australia. Similar trends are now evident in high-income countries including New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and most European countries including Sweden.
The snapshot in the study measured if the reverse trend of increased sobriety would have a long-term effect on upcoming generations. Di Censo added that the implications could reach far beyond this generation of young adults.
“It’s a really good sign because it’s showing that it’s not just in a certain period of time they’re drinking less; it’s likely that it’s going to persist across their whole lives.” – Gianluca Di Censo
Yet still, Livingston warned to be careful about predicting social changes with certainty. He expressed uncertainty about future trends, stating,
“We’re not very good at knowing what’s going to happen in these big social changes in the future.” – Michael Livingston
He went on to muse about the present class of people in their twenties.
“I think certainly for this generation, the people in their 20s now will drink less through their life course than previous cohorts. But whether we continue to drive down teen drinking in the future is a mystery that we’ll have to keep tracking.” – Michael Livingston
As these changes continue to unfold, researchers need to be on their toes. Public health officials will eventually have to track the impact of less alcohol consumption on subsequent generations. This post-pandemic reality points to a new relationship with alcohol, one that places health and wellness at the forefront of our social interactions.
