DRINKING TRENDS

We’re drinking less alcohol on the whole, but the gap between mindful drinking and alcohol addiction is becoming wider.

Every Tuesday evening, Jill Stark, a mental health advocate and author of the book High Sobriety hosts an online Q&A session called ‘No Booze Day Tuesday’, via Instagram Live.

“I just put the question box up [on Instagram] and say, ‘Ask me anything about what it’s like to be sober; What are the challenges? What are the rewards?’… and then I’ll answer anything I can that’s within my realm of experience,” Stark explains.

“It’s just been extraordinary. Even though drinking trends have shifted in the past 10 years, there’s still a stigma. There’s still a misconception and a fear that you can’t possibly survive socially without alcohol.”

No Booze Day Tuesday and the community that has sprung up around it is a good example of how drinking culture has changed in the past decade. When Stark first gave up alcohol in 2011, support was not so easily accessible. Now, there’s an array of apps, groups, organisations and public figures who are championing different approaches to alcohol.

TESTING THE WATER

While many misconceptions still exist, the latest statistics show a definite cultural shift around drinking. Data from a 2020 Roy Morgan report on alcohol consumption show that the proportion of Australians who drink alcohol has declined. Likewise, statistics from StatsNZ show that there has been a positive downward trend in drinking culture, with fewer young people drinking and less hazardous drinking.

But, within these big picture trends there are some worrying caveats. Although young people are perceived as the cohort more likely to be ‘boozing on’, a November 2020 survey by not-for-profit Hello Sunday Morning (HSM) found that people aged 65 to 74 are drinking more than double the amount of average Australians. Within that age group, men are consuming more than 31.5 standard drinks in a seven-day period, placing them in what HSM calls a ‘Very High Risk’ drinking category.

There is a similar pattern emerging in NZ, with research outlined in the New Zealand Medical Journal showing that young people are reducing their alcohol consumption and New Zealanders aged 50-plus are the nation’s true ‘at-risk’ drinkers.

Stark believes that the generational difference is down to culture. “It’s much more socially acceptable for young people to choose not to drink, whereas people of my generation and older have grown up in that heavily booze-soaked society with habits that they’ve learned over a lifetime that are harder to change,” she explains.

So why are younger people not following in the boozy footsteps of older generations?

Roger Falconer-Flint, head of engagement at Hello Sunday Morning, says these trends are being driven by young people. “We believe it’s part and parcel of the wider trend of healthier living, which has seen increased gym membership, participation in triathlons and other events, vegetarianism, veganism, mindfulness, yoga... all heavily concentrated in younger groups.”

Lotta Dann, founder of NZ’s Living Sober, a free online community for anyone who wishes to address their relationship with alcohol, echoes this. “More and more people are realising that alcohol makes them feel stifled, diminished, unwell and disconnected,” she says.

Another factor has been the rise of the ‘sober-curious’ movement (also known as ‘mindful drinking’) – described as a way to introduce people to the idea of abstinence or moderation in a gentle and nonconfrontational way.

“The sober-curious movement is for those who have chosen to avoid alcohol for subjective reasons relating to health and wellness. It focuses on curiosity instead of sobriety, moving away from a punitive approach and encouraging a curious mindset as to the reasons you might desire alcohol,