January often arrives with a reset button, and for many people that means Dry January, a month-long break from alcohol after the holidays. What feels like a challenge for older drinkers is increasingly just normal life for younger adults. Many people in Generation Z are drinking far less than previous age groups, and some are choosing sobriety as a long-term lifestyle instead of a short experiment.
Cierra Boone, 25, has been sober for almost three years, and she describes the change as deeply grounding. She has spoken about using alcohol as an escape when she was younger, shaped by family experiences with addiction and mental health struggles. Now she says she feels more connected to people she drifted from and more settled in her day-to-day life. Stories like hers reflect a broader shift that researchers are watching closely.
The numbers back it up. Gallup reported an 11 percent drop in alcohol consumption among adults ages 18 to 34 from 2001 to 2023. Dr. Jared Harp, an addiction psychiatrist at Cleveland Clinic, has said he does not see this as a passing phase and expects the movement to keep growing. Instead of drinking out of habit, many younger adults seem more deliberate about when and why they drink.
Health awareness is one major driver. Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, who founded the Volpicelli Center for Addiction Treatment, points to a wider focus on physical and mental wellbeing, including exercise. A 2024 McKinsey and Company study found that 56 percent of Gen Z respondents consider fitness a very high priority, compared with 40 percent of other adults in the United States. Mental health attitudes also look different, with an American Psychological Association study from 2018 reporting that 37 percent of Gen Z participants were willing to seek professional help like therapy.
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Technology has changed social life, too. Volpicelli notes that many young people now spend more time in online hangouts where alcohol is not the centerpiece. RaboResearch found that in 1991, 64.4 percent of high school seniors said they had been drunk at least once, but by 2024 that number had fallen to 33 percent. The timing is striking, since the decline accelerated around 2012 when smartphones became a constant presence.
Money matters as well, especially in an uncertain economy. A 2025 Bank of America study found that 33 percent of Gen Z respondents worry about their finances, and 52 percent cited economic instability as a key reason. Guinevere Goodwin, 27, who worked in hospitality for three years, said she has stepped back from alcohol in recent months and enjoys feeling more like herself during nights out. She also noticed the cost, estimating she spent about $200 a month on alcohol between wine at home and going out.
Even with the overall decline, binge drinking is still a serious concern. Harp points out that heavy drinking in a short window remains common, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking for the average adult as about four to five drinks within two hours. A 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health report found that 21.7 percent of U.S. adults reported binge drinking in the past month. Volpicelli suggests treating Dry January as a low-pressure experiment that offers useful feedback, and seeking help if cutting back feels harder than expected.
Is alcohol becoming less central in your social life, or does it still feel like part of the default plan? Share your thoughts in the comments.
