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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Barbara Ellen

Gen Z for zero tolerance: why British youth are turning off booze

More than a quarter of people aged 16 to 24 are now teetotal
More than a quarter of people aged 16 to 24 are now teetotal. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

It appears that young people are not drinking alcohol like they used to. And when I say “they”, I probably mean “we”. According to the alcohol education charity Drinkaware, after the surge of alcohol consumption during lockdown, there has been a general decline in drinking: older people are still most likely to drink, while those least likely to drink are aged 16 to 24, with 26% of that age group fully teetotal.

This trend for British youth shunning alcohol has been bubbling away for some time, but more than a quarter of young people teetotal? While I in no way seek to glorify heavy drinking, or diminish the tragic effects of alcoholism, that is a lot of sober youth.

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