Cheers to the Gen Z's
...And the inconvenient truth about Alcohol
It was good to see that the Mail on Sunday did a big spread on Why Gen Z are going Teetotal, it’s a good piece, they feature some young people who seem to have far more sense than the boomer generation (guilty your honour) and want to focus on spending their money more wisely. Many are completely alcohol free, some are sober curious, but few are drinking the way us oldies did. They recognise the impact on their mental health, and have seen what happens to their boozy parents.
I’m ashamed to say I really am guilty of embarrassing my teenagers on more than one occasion, not raging blind drunk, but ‘tipsy’, ‘sozzled’…and all the other lovely fun descriptive words we use to describe the after effects of the world’s number one most harmful drug (It is, when you take into account economics, crime, the burden on the health service)
I wrote an article on why the Baby Boomers are the booziest generation for Alcohol Change UK, and I say there, now that I am Happy Healthy Sober (also the title of my book) my biggest regret is not ditching the booze sooner.
But (and it’s a big BUT!) while I am pleased the Mail on Sunday wrote such a positive piece, including comment from the lovely Millie who founded Sober Girl Society on Instagram and works with universities to support the Sober Curious, I am incensed that they still chose to add another headline and give it a ‘Box Out’:
…But moderate drinkers are happier and live longer. Er no. That’s absolute BS
This delusion comes from a US study that was also reported in The Lancet (so trustworthy eh?) It suggests that while heavy drinkers are clearly prone to an earlier death, those who have a few drinks a week are ‘happiest’ and live longer. Now I’d argue vehemently that these people may be happy and healthy, we have no idea what demographics they surveyed, but one things for certain, IF they’re happy and healthy, its DESPITE their moderate drinks, not because of them. Alcohol has zero benefits and even one glass is harmful.
Yep, I HATED discovering that. I used to love the articles, like this one, that reminded me that ‘One glass is good for the heart’, a couple of glasses mean I will be ‘less depressed’, but its not based in truth.
I interviewed Dr Anya Topiwala on the Alcohol Free Life podcast some time ago, she was the clinical lead researcher on a study of how Alcohol affects ageing. The results were quite damning, they found that the Telomeres, the ‘markers’ of how we age, showed quite clearly that even one glass is ageing, (Anya also confirmed the impact on mental health and as she is a Psychiatrist I believe her)
It was very hard hitting, and I was grateful that for once, when there is a news story about alcohol harm, it didn’t need to have the caviat of: ‘Oh but one glass or red IS good for you’
It isn’t. If you want the ‘suggested’ benefits, Antioxidants, Resveratrol – Have a grape.
In the interview transcribed here: The inconvenient Truth about Alcohol, I put to Anya the premise of the study, and how they might conclude that people drinking small moderately might fair better, and her response was:
‘There are loads of other factors that are probably responsible, and I think causing these spurious protective effects. To give you an example, the kind of people that drink moderately are better educated, probably. eat better, exercise more. Everything else in our lives is probably healthily apart from the drink. And all those factors mean that their brains are healthier, for instance. However on all the imaging studies we’ve done it looks like it’s harmful. We’ve all got what you call a ‘selective bias’. Yes, we see the one out of even 100 studies showing that the red wine glass of red wine is good for us. We’d love to believe it. But I just don’t think it’s borne out in research’
If you’re reading this and shouting ‘spoilsport’! Hear me out. I’m not up for prohibition, I only ask you to ask yourself:
‘Could my life be better physically and mentally without the booze?’
If you really are happily having one glass a week, maybe you’re answer is ‘No, I’m good’ in which case, crack on!
The reality is that most people who drink alcohol do get caught in the alcohol trap, one isn’t actually enough, especially if you’re using the alcohol to ‘relax, chill, gain confidence, feel better’ or whatever amazing powers we assign to the liquid. Most people who drink are unhappy with their relationship with alcohol and would like to stop, they just don’t know how. Trust me, I was there, waking at 3am berating myself.
The Governments recommended daily limit is ridiculous too, who knows what one unit is? I used to kid myself I was having one unit with a huge glass of wine. If you are also a Baby Boomer you may remember those ridiculous ornamental vases with a pottery cat hanging from the side, (Our parents filled their homes with that crap).. Well, that’s the size of a ‘large’ glass of wine.
Alcohol misuse is associated with over 200 illnesses and injuries. It can lead to serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, various cancers, and mental health issues. It stands as the leading risk factor for death, ill-health, and disability among individuals aged 15-49, and is one of the top preventable causes of death among all adults. Since 2019, alcohol-related deaths in England have risen by more than a third. Yet the Mail tells us, if you drink ‘moderately’ you will be happier and live longer.
The impact of alcohol extends beyond health, imposing a significant financial burden as well. Nearly 350,000 hospital admissions in England each year are alcohol-related, costing the NHS an estimated £3.5 billion annually. The broader societal costs—including reduced employment, lower productivity, increased crime, and harm to families—were estimated at £21 billion per year some years ago, Today, this figure is undoubtedly higher.
I only just discovered recently that England has not updated its alcohol strategy since 2012. I don’t remember it, (I was in an alcohol haze) but David Cameron's government proposed plans, including MUP, but abandoned them due to an alleged lack of concrete evidence. Now, with substantial evidence from Scotland on MUP, maybe it's time for England to reconsider its approach.
From my personal experience, I can tell you that life is so much better without alcohol. I wake up with energy, my mind is clear, and I have a deeper connection with the people around me. I’ve discovered new hobbies, more creativity, improved my fitness, and found a sense of peace I didn’t know was possible. I’ve become passionate about the topic, given a TEDx talk Sobriety Rocks - Who Knew!, written a book Happy Healthy Sober and I run The Sober Club a community forcused on wellbeing and holistic sobriety. I’m a coach, trained in a few amazing modalities including EFT, Matrix Reimprinting (weird name, incredible results) and Family Constellations. So many members and clients tell me they feel as though they’ve been given a second chance at life.
I am optimistic about the Gen Z’s and hopefully the Gen X, Millennials will all follow suit, but that still leaves a lot of older people believing that they will be missing out if they quit booze. Imagine if we could encourage more people to experience the incredible benefits. It’s not just about saving lives; it’s about showing people that they don’t need alcohol to enjoy life. Lets create an environment where choosing not to drink is easier and more appealing. Lets make it ‘normal’ to choose not to drink.
Sobriety Rocks!
Meanwhile, Cheers to the Gen Z’s leading the way.