Recent data has suggested Gen Z will embrace the holiday season with a focus on drinking alcohol in moderation.
A study from Mintel in the UK on Gen Z drinking habits revealed that a significant number are opting for a more balanced approach, focussing on drinking in moderation.
As part of Mintel’s lifestyle research of Gen Z, 36 percent young adults aged 18-25 socialise by going to bars and pubs with friends. Going to restaurants is a popular choice, while online gaming, visiting cafes and going to the cinema have gained popularity.
“The study revealed that Gen Zers who are called ‘the sober curious generation’, are drinking less alcohol than previous generations. We are seeing similar trends in New Zealand”, said NZABC Executive Director Virginia Nicholls.
A third of young people in the UK study aged 18-24 do not drink alcohol at all, and those who do tend to drink primarily as a treat, or to mark a special occasion. There is a growing preference for low and no-alcohol alternatives.
A survey in the UK by KAM Insights found that 78 percent of Gen Z combine alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks on nights out called ‘zebra striping’ compared with two-thirds of adults.
“Across the NZ adult population, we are also continuing to see the rise of low and no alcohol drinks. Independent consumer research found that 55 percent of respondents said they drank low-alcohol beverages in the past year (up from 40 percent in 2020). The most common reasons are because they were driving, tracking their beverage consumption, for health and wellbeing reasons and for a lower calorie drink”, said Nicholls.
The recent release of the annual NZ Health survey provided information on New Zealander’s health and wellbeing, and showed that 83.4 percent of NZ adults (more than four out of five of us) are drinking beer, wine and spirits responsibly. This is an increase of 4.7 percentage points over the past four years (78.7 percent 2019/20).
Hazardous drinking or harmful alcohol consumption among adults over the past four years has declined to 16.6 percent (21.3 percent 2019/20).
The largest decrease in hazardous drinking over the past five years was among young New Zealanders 18-24 years – a decline of 13.2 percentage points from 35.8 percent to 22.6 percent.
The Health NZ guidelines for low-risk drinking are two standard drinks a day for women, and three standard drinks a day for men, with at least two alcohol-free days each week.
Nicholls said that anyone with questions about their drinking should speak to their healthcare professional.
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