For Gen Z, Dry January has become something much bigger

"For young people across the United States, "Dry January" is no longer a novelty. For some, it has become a year-round way of life. Members of Gen Z - those born between 1997 and 2012 - are drinking less alcohol than any generation in decades, part of a broader shift that is reshaping social life, public health and even the alcohol industry itself."

"Long-term Gallup research compiled in 2023 showed the share of adults younger than 35 who said they drink alcohol at all had steadily declined, from 72% in 2001-2003 to 62% in 2021-2023. A Gallup survey conducted in July 2025 found that figure dropped further to 50% - and that just 54% of Americans of legal drinking age reported consuming alcohol at all, the lowest level Gallup has recorded in 90 years."

"The 2025 BMO Wine Market Report, an annual industry analysis published by Bank of Montreal that tracks trends shaping the global and U.S. wine industry, cited long-term health survey data from the National Institutes of Health showing similar declines. Over the past 20 years, the share of people ages 18 to 20 who reported drinking alcohol declined from nearly 70% to around 35%."

Dry January has become common and some young people maintain alcohol abstinence year-round. Gen Z drinks less alcohol than previous generations. Gallup found alcohol use among adults younger than 35 fell from 72% in 2001–2003 to 62% in 2021–2023; a July 2025 Gallup survey reported 50% of under-35s drank and 54% of Americans of legal drinking age consumed alcohol, the lowest Gallup level in 90 years. The 2025 BMO Wine Market Report cited NIH data showing drinking among ages 18–20 fell from nearly 70% to about 35% over 20 years. IWSR reported average weekly drinks per U.S. adult unchanged since 1975 and that reported Gen Z drinking in the prior six months rose from 46% in 2023 to 70% in 2025.

Read at The Mercury News