Why more Gen Z are choosing to go alcohol-free after Dry January

While some sigh in relief when Dry January comes to an end, and quickly reach for a drink to celebrate their alcohol-free month-long stint, increasing numbers are deciding to stay sober for longer.

In an era where hundreds of national and global awareness days and campaigns are marked each year, Dry January is one many can actually relate to and take part in. According to Alcohol Change UK, who officially launched the first campaign in 2013, participation has risen from 4,000 people to 175,000 in the past 11 years.

But in recent years, the younger generation is making the conscious decision to drink less all-year-round – not just throughout January.

According to ONS, young people aged 16 to 24 years in Britain are less likely to drink than any other age group, while NHS England statistics for 2021 revealed that 38% of 16 to 24-year-olds and 21% of 25 to 34-year-olds either don’t drink or haven’t drunk in the last 12 months. Ten years prior, in 2011, these figures were 19% and 16% respectively.

In Mintel’s Generation Z Report 2023, it found 45% of Gen Z are prioritising taking care of their mental wellbeing over the next year and British consumers aged 20-24 are almost half as likely to prioritise spending on alcoholic drinks for the home than consumers aged over 75.

The report also found that half of over 65s did not limit their alcohol consumption in 2023, whereas 40% of Gen Zers did.

So, why might Gen Z be opting for a more mindful-approach to drinking alcohol?

Changes in attitude – not only do younger people appear to have a deeper awareness of health risks, but they also actively shun the notion of drunkenness, according to John Holmes, professor of alcohol policy at the University of Sheffield. He told the BBC: “In the mid to late 2000s, getting drunk and binge drinking was a way friendships were formed and solidified – even experiencing the negative effects together was a key part of making and sustaining friends in adolescence and early adulthood, but Gen Zers are more likely to see drunkenness as unpleasant, uncool or uninteresting.”

Redefining relaxation – while many use alcohol as a source of decompression, Gen Z are 24% less likely than the total global population to drink alcohol to maintain or improve mental wellbeing, and are 21% more likely to opt for mood-enhancing food and drinks instead.

Focus on health – according to a 2022 report by the Food Institute, younger people cited improving health (47%), managing weight (38%), reducing risk of disease (25%) and avoiding a hangover (23%) as reasons for cutting back on alcohol consumption.

Access to information – with more available research and open discussion, knowledge about the disadvantages of drinking are more accessible, especially on platforms such as TikTok where 38% of its users are made up of Gen Z.

Our senior account executive, Caitlin Pugh, made the decision to quit drinking in May 2022, aged 24.

Having been alcohol-free for the last 20 months, she said: “The driving factors behind my decision to embrace a new lifestyle included avoiding hangovers and alcohol induced en bloc blackouts – the latter being more common in females – bettering my health and fitness and realising I wasn’t drinking for myself, but instead to meet society’s expectations.

“I wanted to stop drinking long before I plucked up the courage to do it. I knew one day it would happen, I just didn’t know how and when. But as soon as I did, it felt like a massive weight off my shoulders and I just wished I’d stopped sooner.

“While it was never meant to be a long-term decision, it finally feels like I’m looking after my mind and my body, and after conquering some of the more challenging social situations sober, I can no longer see there being a situation where I feel the need to drink anymore.”

From weddings, funerals and birthday celebrations to university, sports clubs and work parties – these occasions and cultures are often associated with drinking alcohol, especially in the UK.

People drink alcohol to feel more relaxed, to feel braver, to celebrate life events, drown their sorrows or to belong amongst many other reasons.

In a report by the Mental Health Foundation, 88% of people who said they would find it difficult to give up drinking completely, said it helps them relax. Nearly half of respondents said alcohol helps them feel more confident and less inhibited.

Caitlin added: “One of the main reasons I drank alcohol was to feel more confident in social situations. What’s ironic is that my confidence only really started to build since quitting the booze because, if anything, I felt worse once the effects of alcohol wore off.

“The sense of self-assurance you feel while drunk is simply a result of the changes happening in your body. Alcohol’s effects are fleeting, and liquid courage only lasts as long as the intoxication does. It takes time to build real self-confidence, but anything worth having takes time.”

Another benefit to cutting out alcohol is the change in your spending habits, says Caitlin.

“While saving money wasn’t a driving factor in my decision, it’s certainly one of the key benefits to a no-drinking lifestyle. I much prefer putting my money into more meaningful activities such as going for a nice meal with my friends or family or trying out new sports and activities – rather than dreading checking my bank balance after a night out.”

According to the recent Mintel Gen Z Report, due to the rise in the cost of living, Gen Z are adopting more cautious mindsets, with 42% expecting to cut back on luxuries and non-essential products as a result of rising prices.

In 2019, the Welsh Government introduced the MUP (minimum unit pricing) in Wales to reduce alcohol consumption among the lowest income group by 6% and reduce mortality among heavy drinkers in routine/manual occupations by 8%.

Freshwater supported the Welsh Government by implementing a communications and engagement strategy to raise public awareness of the introduction of the MUP for alcohol in Wales. and how the law aims to reduce the associated harms caused by excessive consumption of alcohol.

Six months after the change, in October 2020, Alcohol Change UK found that 10% of drinkers had reduced their drinking because of the introduction of minimum pricing in Wales.

Ahead of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday (14 February), this year we’re encouraging our colleagues at Freshwater to give something up, as the tradition goes, or add something positive to their lives over the 40 day period.

And, if just like Caitlin, that positive change goes beyond the 40 days – then even better.

The challenge comes off the back of a host of Make it Matter initiatives launched by our People, Standards and Inclusion committee which, since its launch in January 2023, has delivered some great projects including developing new channels for staff engagement, introducing Wellness Wednesdays and regular Lunch and Learn sessions, driving our charitable initiatives and pursuing new agency accreditations which matter to our team.

Caitlin added: “I’m proud of myself for taking the leap and would encourage anyone to give alcohol-free living a go – it might just be the best thing you’ve ever done.”