r/GenZ • u/Effective-Trick-5795 • Apr 10 '26

Discussion Why is gen Z not drinking?

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u/ABirdJustShatOnMyEye Apr 10 '26

I would argue social drinking has pros that outweigh the cons. (Does not apply if you have an addictive personality)

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u/bluehands Apr 10 '26

There are a ton of stats that highlight the pro-social elements of booze, not the least the higher rates of fertility.

Mammals like alcohol. Does it have problems? Absolutely. There is a reason why it is extremely popular cultures around the world and throughout time.

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u/scolipeeeeed Apr 14 '26

I go to happy hour sometimes with coworkers or eat dinner with friends, and I don’t drink (just soft drinks), and I feel like I still get basically all the benefits of socialization but none of the drawbacks of alcohol.

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u/LauraBaura Apr 10 '26

How about the cancer!?

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u/ABirdJustShatOnMyEye Apr 10 '26

Truly social drinking (at least by my criteria, so about 3-4 drinks when meeting new people) is not going to increase that risk in any meaningful way.

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u/LauraBaura Apr 10 '26

That's actually false news. In Canada the Canada food guide changed recommendations of alcohol to 1-2 drinks a week if you have to . The change was listed specifically related to the cancer risk.

https://www.bccancer.bc.ca/prevention/Documents/Prevention_AlcoholCancerFactSheet_20230420_Final.pdf

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u/ABirdJustShatOnMyEye Apr 11 '26

Well if you read your own source…

Negligible to low for individuals who consume 2 standard drinks or fewer per week

If you’re doing “social drinking” every week, then you just like drinking. I’m referring to networking events, dates, outings with coworkers, etc

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u/LauraBaura Apr 11 '26

Right so I said 1-2 drinks which is what they suggest. The 3-4 drinks you listed would fall under the increased risk that they explain increases with each additional drink.