Gen Zers drink as much as the rest of society

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At 81 per cent, millennials are still the heaviest drinkers of all, followed by gen X at 77 per cent, but the report found that the drinking rate among gen Zers of legal age in 15 key markets — including Canada — has increased. Up from 66 per cent three years ago to 74 per cent, it’s now roughly the same as the overall drinking rate (76 per cent), which has remained stable. Gen Zers are, however, drinking differently. The report found that drinkers in this cohort are the most likely to heed government health guidance around alcohol (49 per cent). They’ve taken a greater interest in cocktails than any other generation, with 84 per cent saying they’ve had one in the past six months. They’re also sociable drinkers. Gen Zers are the most likely to report imbibing with groups of five or more people on their last occasion (18 per cent).
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At the other end of the spectrum, baby boomers are slowing down. They imbibe the least of any generation, and when they do partake, they consume fewer drinks (an average of 2.6 per occasion). Lodewijks credits boomers’ moderation to cost considerations and lifestyle changes, such as health issues and fewer opportunities to socialize.
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I’m surprised they can afford it.

I’m Gex X and I basically quit drinking during the Pandy, in 2021. Very rarely I’ll have a drink, like at Christmas. I will put it in food and desserts, so not militant about it, just don’t get the urge. Formerly would drink every weekend. I rarely think about it now.

How often do you drink, how much, and what? How much of your budget goes to booze?
 
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Millennial, I like light beers and go through a case a week pretty easy especially when I’m tinkering around the house. Although turning 40 soon, so I’m thinking of cutting back. It’s also expensive. Surprised about Gen Z. The ones I know do not drink at all.
 
They tell you they don't drink so they don't get invited out to drink by the creepy old boomer and have to deal with the awkwardness of declining or, even worse, actually drinking with you.
 
I started cutting back then there was another tax increase I just gave it up altogether. Tobacco and weed are tax free on the reservation.

The teen crowd doesn't seem to have the same association with alcohol. Millennials came up with movies like Beerfest and the hangover among others glorifying drinking. Gen Z watches YouTubers where drinking isn't usually part of whatever slop is going on like Mr Beast.
 
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Well nowadays you can just walk down the street to the corner store and buy alcohol from the jeets, whereas you used to have to travel across town to the LCBO or Beer Store cause they were the only places where you could get booze.

It only makes sense that gen Z and probably everyone else is drinking more, its literally right there when you buy groceries or a pack of darts at the store now. Alcohol is also liquid calories, so with food being more expensive, some people think it makes more sense to spend money on calories that also get you drunk. What would you rather spend $15 on? A Big Mac meal at McDonalds or 6 tallboy cans of James Ready?

The worst thing about going to the LCBO 3+ times a week was you got the same cashiers week after week, month after month, year after year and they recognize you and just look at you with utter contempt for spending $200/week on alcohol there every week.
 
Depends on the alcohol. I pop into an LCBO that's in my office building in the financial district once a week and the guys who work there always give me great recommendations on Portuguese or Italian wines. It's not like I'm walking out of there every Friday with that 1.5L bottle of Seagrams 83 (not that there isn't a place for it now and then).
 
I'm pretty sure all that happened is that all the teenagers graduating high-school and going into university, who should have been drinking, ended up never experiencing "drinking culture" because of COVID hysteria until gradually as the hysteria ended, they started working, making new friends, and began socializing as an adult which incorporated more alcohol. The younger gen-z people going to university that never experiencing covid-19 at their peak drinking years never had a hitch. We just spent the last 5 years playing catch-up. Also, Tinder changed the bar/club scene and for a time, drinking wasn't really used for hookups/dating as much as past generations but tinder now has also peaked and is in a decline so things are moving back to "the old way" and thus drinking levels are equalizing somewhat again, while still being different.
 
I never really drank much and now I drink even less because it's too expensive an indulgence, I think my next indulgence to abandon will be eating.
 
People used to joke that cocaine was an expensive addiction all the time but $100 coke is 10-20 lines (depending on purity). Each line lasts you 1 hour. That's 10 hours of fun, minimum for $100 but you can easily get 2x 10 hour sessions with that amount in most cases. Alcohol? $30 a bottle of wine. If you start drinking at 2pm, you're going through 2 bottles at least, probably a few beers ($10) and maybe a couple cocktails thrown in that cost $7.50 to make so $15 for 10 hours of drinking if not more. That's what, like $85 for a day of drinking...

Alcohol is literally more expensive than cocaine and if you buy cocaine in bulk, cocaine is actually significantly cheaper than alcohol. Ridiculous.
 
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