“In Australia, it seems likely that drinking overall went down a bit, but that's [largely due to the impact of] young people who weren't going out to pubs and bars. There's growing evidence that among other groups, such as parents, drinking went up.”
New data from Roy Morgan's Alcohol Consumption Report shows the proportion of Australians who drink alcohol dropped by 1.8% points to 67.9% in the 12 months to June 2022 as the country emerged from the pandemic and multiple lockdowns in 2020-21.
The cultural change in young people has been reported as the biggest factor as to why drinking rates have declined, and its not just an American trend, with the number of drinkers internationally decreasing by almost 5% since 2000, from 47.6% to 43.0%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Part of the reason for the decline in drinking is that Gen Z appear to be more cautious than older generations, both in terms of their health and how their peers perceive them.
Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
Currently, an estimated 13.2 million Australians – 66.4% of the adult population – drink alcohol in one form or another in an average four weeks (33.6% don't).
FARE chief executive Michael Thorn said one in five Australian children, or about a million each year, are harmed as a result of someone else's drinking.
However, the generation that appears to struggle the most with alcoholism are the baby boomers – sometimes referred to more simply as “boomers”. Baby boomers are the cohort who followed the Silent Generation and preceded Generation X. Those in this group were born between the years 1946 to 1964.
A report from Bensburg stated that Gen Z's are more than 20% less likely to drink than their millennial counterparts did at their age. Additionally, a surprising 64% of the teens and 20-year olds said that they would be drinking even less when they were older.
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - While many Americans consumed more alcohol during the pandemic, a growing number are now cutting back or abstaining altogether. The sober and sober-curious now have an array of choices, with more zero-proof brands hitting store shelves.
“Alcohol consumption has been decreasing here since about 2007, and we've seen a 10 per cent reduction in per capita consumption across the whole population,” says Dr Michael Livingston, associate professor at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University.
The Sobriety Mindsets for Millennials and Gen Zers
Studies have found that these generations drink less than their older counterparts. They fear what will happen when they lose control and how their actions may appear on social media. As a result, they consume less than their parent's generation did as teenagers.
The international survey found Australians drank to the point of drunkenness an average of 27 times a year, almost double the global average of 15.
Australian Capital Territory – permanent alcohol-free places (legislation) New South Wales – Sydney alcohol restrictions (for other areas, find the council it's in and go to their website) Northern Territory – where you can't drink in the NT and about dry areas.
Americans are drinking less than they used to. By the numbers: The average number of drinks Americans consume in a week has been falling over the last several years, from 4.8 in 2009 to 3.6 in 2021, Gallup found. 60% of Americans say they drink, down from 65% in 2019, Gallup says.
Age Factors
Individuals in their early to mid-twenties are the most likely to abuse alcohol and suffer from alcohol use disorders. The younger that an individual starts consuming alcohol, the more likely they are to develop alcoholism later in life. This is especially true of individuals who start drinking before 15.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) often seems to run in families, and we may hear about scientific studies of an “alcoholism gene.” Genetics certainly influence our likelihood of developing AUD, but the story isn't so simple. Research shows that genes are responsible for about half of the risk for AUD.
Gen Z is still at high risk for addiction since its generation is increasingly lonely and obsessed with social media. Social platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, pose lifestyles that are not accurate and seem unattainable, especially when it comes to body image. This causes high levels of stress and pressure.
As a generation of digital natives, one of the core reasons for Gen Z's declining alcohol consumption is risk aversion and a fear of having drunk behavior publicly broadcast on social media.
You look younger.
When your skin dries out, it becomes less elastic. As a result, you might look older and more wrinkled after just one night of heavy drinking. If you drink often, the effect is compounded. However, once you quit drinking, you start looking younger pretty quickly.
For many people, the first few weeks of sobriety are the hardest. You may have withdrawal symptoms that are physically and emotionally uncomfortable. Cravings are also common during this time, which can tempt you to relapse. Treatment can help you get through this challenging period.
Belarus, a country that drinks the most liters of pure alcohol than any other country in the world, was also classified as having one the riskiest pattern of drinking.
In a 1950 copy of Meanjin, Phillips used the term 'cultural cringe' to define the penchant for Australians to see their artists and writers' work as inferior to anything from overseas, Britain and the United States in particular. As a consequence, many Australians in the cultural field spent time or moved overseas.
There's little doubt that alcohol is an important part of Australian culture. According to the author of The Rum State, Milton Lewis, heavy drinking was an established cultural norm transported to Australia at the time of colonisation.