‘It’s poison’: Why Gen Z is turning away from alcohol

For a long time, drinking has been seen as a rite of passage for young Australians.  

“I feel like everyone’s probably had a drink before they turned 18,” says Mikaela, 15.  
 
“But, obviously, you know, because we’re Australian, it’s kind of normalised.” 

Lissama and Atipa, who are both 18, agree that drinking is a characteristic of Australian culture. 
  
“Especially when people from other countries think about Australian culture, you think, ‘Oh no, crack open a beer,'” Lissama says.   
 
“Pub culture and, like, just whenever you go out to find people you have drinks,” Atipa says.  

Changing habits

A growing number of teens are questioning this ritual and the drinking habits of young people have started to shift.

In 2001, 70 per cent of young people in Australia, aged between 14 and 17, had consumed alcohol in the past 12 months, according to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2022–2023).   
  
But in the past few years, this has dropped to about three in 10 young people, a downward trend that has been seen worldwide, particularly in wealthier countries like Sweden and the UK.

Mikaela says she has noticed this change among her friends.  
 
“There has been … less influence towards that kind of stuff [alcohol] in my personal group of people,” she says.  
 
“I think it’s because we do have lots of talks in school about this.  
 
“We’re more educated on the dangers towards it.”

Craig Martin from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation says there are several factors at play here, but the biggest one is education.

“People are … seeing their parents and maybe their grandparents who have consumed alcohol and [are] just thinking, ‘Look it’s not good for your health.'”

Mr Martin says better education about the health risks of alcohol, as well as its relationship with violence, poor decision-making and mental health, has played a huge part in changing teen drinking habits.   

“We know that if someone does start drinking under the age of 18, they are more likely to develop alcohol dependence or become an alcoholic.

“They are also more likely to experience other health and mental health issues.”

Alex, 14, agrees that consistent messaging at school has a lot to do with this downward trend.

“So, I think it’s just more awareness, and we’re getting told constantly, ‘Don’t do it.'”

How alcohol affects the brain

Ian Hickie from the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney says there’s no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption for people under the age of 18, even if they’re drinking at home under parental supervision.

“When you’re young, particularly between 12 and 25, your brain is growing and developing,” Professor Hickie says.

He says drinking alcohol as a teenager impacts the front part of the brain, which is the area that drives decision-making and behavioural regulation.

“Things that teenagers do, particularly binge drinking – [having] high levels of alcohol suddenly – do damage the development of the frontal parts of the brain, and those cabling systems.”

None of this is news to young people.

“When you are young, your decision-making isn’t great already, so then drinking kind of adds on top of that, you make even more silly decisions,” Atipa says.

“Obviously it [drinking alcohol] is going to mess up some important functions in the brain and it will probably affect their future,” Victor, 19 says.

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Experts say better education in schools has been crucial in reducing rates of underage drinking, but social media has also played a role.

Gen Z influencers and content makers are sharing their experiences of being “sober curious” – exploring what life is like with reduced or no alcohol consumption – and documenting the physical and mental health benefits that come with it.

Sport and barbecues

Although new language and attitudes help challenge the norms of alcohol consumption, the old habits of Australian drinking culture die hard.

For Jamie, 20, and Victor and Eden, both 19, this is predominantly linked to another hallmark of Aussie culture: sport.

“Mainly at sporting events there’s a lot of people drinking,” Victor says.

“There’s probably a bit of a media presence as well, promoting alcohol sometimes in sports betting ads,” Jamie says.

“The goal should be zero per cent of under 18s consuming alcohol, and we’re far from that,” Mr Martin says.

For now, Australia without a prominent drinking culture is hard to imagine for young people like Alex.

“It always is at barbies, everything,” Alex says.

“It’s just there, there’s always alcohol around. It’s never going to be going away anytime soon.”