Dry January becomes permanent for many young adults

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As Dry January begins across the United States, a growing number of young adults aren’t treating the month-long alcohol break as a temporary resolution — they’re stepping away from booze for good.

For Generation Z, the annual challenge of abstaining from alcohol in January appears less like a once-a-year pledge and more like part of a broader shift in drinking habits, health experts and young people say.

“I don’t think it’s a blip at this point,” said Dr. Jared Harp, an addiction psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic told the Spokesman Review. “If anything, I think this trend is going to continue to strengthen.”

Gallup data show that the share of U.S. adults ages 18-34 who had an alcoholic beverage in the past week declined about 11 percentage points between 2001 and 2023 — a trend that health professionals say reflects broader lifestyle choices among younger adults.

Experts say Gen Z’s lower alcohol use may be linked to heightened awareness of physical and mental health, social media influences and changing social norms that make sobriety more socially acceptable. Harp noted that, unlike earlier generations, many young adults are deliberate about when and why they drink.

Economic factors also play a role, with some young adults pointing to tighter budgets and the high cost of nights out as reasons for cutting back. And as marijuana legalization has expanded across the country, some say cannabis or o...