Why Gen Z is giving up alcohol
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 19 March 2026
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Nearly half of young adults are turning to low or non-alcoholic drinks - with the number nearly doubling since 2018.
To understand why Gen Z has been making this clear-headed decision you need look no further than the “sober curious” movement - with social media influencers promoting the benefits of a booze-free lifestyle.
Excessive drinking was once seen as a right of passage in early adulthood – so what’s changed? And as the pub industry already faces significant challenges – how can it adapt to cater for a more sober generation?
Niall is joined by sober curious influencer Millie Gooch and Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Sky News, the full story first. |
| 0:10.0 | Nearly half of all young people are turning to low or no alcohol drinks. |
| 0:17.0 | And this is why. |
| 0:22.4 | Time to thank our partner for this episode, Elevon. |
| 0:25.6 | When you're diving into the worlds of news or sport, |
| 0:28.4 | it's critical to have experts right by your site. |
| 0:32.0 | And similarly in business, |
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| 0:36.7 | it pays to have a payment provider who gets it. |
| 0:39.9 | Cue, Elevon, the full solution payment service provider. |
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| 1:01.8 | So say goodbye to payment stress and hello to focusing on what counts with Elevon. Get more info at |
| 1:08.5 | elevent.com.com. |
| 1:13.6 | Add water to your will. And know that from that single drop, life will grow. |
| 1:18.6 | Communities will flourish. |
| 1:21.6 | A better world will be left. |
| 1:23.6 | By leaving a gift in your will to water aid, |
| 1:26.6 | you'll help bring essential clean water to people who need it to change their own lives for generations to come. |
| 1:34.3 | Add Water Aid to your will. Search Water Aid Legacy to find out how. |
| 1:43.3 | Hi everyone, Neil here. It has been a rough couple of weeks, hasn't it? So does anyone fancy a pint? |
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