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# Why Gen Z Is Cutting Back on Drinking
- URL: https://bevnews.net/why-gen-z-is-cutting-back-on-drinking/
- Published: 2026-11-12T03:43:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-12T03:43:23.000Z
- Author: Joel Whitaker
- Tags: Sales, Strategy

Rumors of a "dry generation" are overstated, [*The New York Times*](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/09/style/alcohol-drinking-gen-z.html?ref=bevnews.net) reports. But, it says, young people definitely are drinking less. Why? 

It's not that they have switched to cannabis? There hasn't been enough uptake in cannabis to accou0nt for the alcohol decline. Nor, to a large extent, to antialcohol propaganda, although the message certainly has made an impact.

The No. 1 reason why young people think drinking has declined: the high cost of a night out:

- In Washington, DC, cocktails are priced at $16 to $20 a bars. One young adult told the Times. Most don't have the budget for more than a few drinks per weekend.
- Cover charges topping $20\.
- The additional cost of an Uber to get home safely, especially where public transportation is not readily available.

Also: Everyone carries a recording device everywhere they go. "A single drunken outburst can easily become a part of one’s online footprint forever," a 23-year-old auto detailer said. “People don’t want to get blacked out in public — that’s a scary thing now.”