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Young adults in the U.S. have become progressively less likely to use alcohol over the past two decades, with the percentages of 18- to 34-year-olds saying they ever drink, that they drank in the past week and that they sometimes drink more than they should all lower today. At the same time, drinking on all three metrics has trended up among older Americans while holding fairly steady among middle-aged adults. https://news.gallup.com/poll/509690/young-adults-drinking-less-prior-decades.aspx

food, healthcare, shelter prices are all up. wages are stagnant. most of the neighborhoods aren't walkable and nobody needs a DUI. also, i think the word got out about the confounding variable with "1 drink" being associated with a healthier person than "0 drinks", so its become pretty obvious that less drinks is better, no drinks is best. not to mention, as americans age into pre-diabetes/diabetes, the protocol for physicians is to recommend cessation of drinking. same with sleep apnea, which is rocketing up diagnostically. and people with healthcare are the sort to be able to afford the post-work craft beer scene.

i used to drink a lot 10-15 years ago. all those microbreweries were popping off in the early, post-GFC gentrification cycle. it was a total scene and everybody pretended like this was the new phase of urban development because the tech-money funded microbrewery would also include a non-profit tax dodge that like formed a board to do a think and employ someone's spouse. gotta shut down the liquor store and loose cig place where the local POC go and open up the bar for young, affluent whites to go across the street, this totally isn't racist! excuse me while i don't weep for their downturn, pushing legal and socially acceptable poison in the monetized Third Place.

i definitely get kind of a worried look when i let on that i ceased drinking, like sort of a "how are you coping? i could never." vibe. honestly, it's made my mornings 100x easier.