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Generation Z is stirring up America’s drinking culture — and proving they don’t need a cocktail to have a good time.
Dubbed the “sober generation,” today’s young adults are increasingly turning their backs on heavy drinking, choosing healthier lifestyles, fatter wallets and hangover-free mornings instead.
Researchers at Skyline Recovery Center questioned 766 Gen Z adults ages 21 to 29 and discovered that nearly one in four– 24%– do not drink at all.
A new survey from market research firm IWSR found that more Millennials consume alcohol than any other generation at 81%, with Gen X just behind at 77%, while for the first time, Baby Boomers’ alcohol consumption has dipped to 71% due in part to retirement finances.
As for Zoomers, 21% deliberately moderate their drinking, while 6% describe themselves as “sober curious” and are cutting back.
“Life is so much more fun without alcohol,” Sheldon Cohen, clinical director at Skyline, told The Post. “You get to have dinner with friends. You laugh and have conversations. You remember things. The next morning, you don’t have to worry about how you embarrassed yourself or regret the things you said and did.”
For Zoomers, the biggest motivation for ditching booze is their personal wellness.
A whopping 46% say physical health or fitness motivates them to drink less, while 37% are motivated by saving money, 29% cite improving mental health and 20% have a family history of addiction.
Among those who’ve cut back, 46% report saving money — and pocketing an average of $1,200 a year, while spending an average of about $800 on alcohol a year.
Even romance is getting a sober makeover.
An eye-popping 69% of Gen Z adults who date say they prefer dates involving little or no alcohol.
Just 6% would rather have cocktails on a date.
The rest don’t like to drink and date at all.
“Dating without a drink can be uncomfortable at first, especially if you’ve always had one to settle your nerves,” said Cohen. “But there’s something reassuring about going home knowing you liked someone without wondering how much the drinks had to do with it.”
Single Zoomers are more likely to be fully sober (30%) than those in a relationship or living with a partner (17%), according to the survey.
Meanwhile, 35% of those polled are most likely to skip alcohol at daytime gatherings, including brunches and parties.
And 36% admit they’ve blamed their health for refusing a drink just because they don’t want one.
Zoomers aren’t giving up alcohol entirely, but many are determined to stay in control.
Among drinkers, the average consumption is 4.4 drinks per week, while 65% say they never binge drink, and 83% keep their drinking to weekends.
Nearly four in five Gen Z adults (79%) use at least one strategy to stay on course in their moderation.
The strategies include drinking slowly, setting drink limits and scheduling “alcohol-free days.”
One in five has tried “damp drinking,” the growing practice of cutting back without quitting completely.
The survey revealed men drank more than women, averaging 5.1 drinks a week against women’s 3.9. More than half of male drinkers like beer, while gals are more likely to choose a cocktail.