Alcohol abstinence growing trend among under-25s

A growing number of young people are turning their backs on the drinking habits of their parents and choosing to engage in ‘mindful drinking’, where they sometimes abstain from drinking alcohol altogether.

According to statistics from the Office for National Statistics, a fifth of adults aged 25 and under are teetotal, with this number increasing every day. These adults are choosing to drink in moderation or not drink at all. Their motivation is the damage caused by alcohol to their health and to their wallets.

This trend was started by Club Soda, a mindful drinking movement founded by Laura Willoughby. She claims that many people see mindful drinking as a way of changing how they feel about and perceive alcohol. Many people switch to drinks with low alcohol content, reduce their intake per week, try a week of sobriety, or drink alcohol-free beverages. Ms Willoughby says that pubs are not keeping up with the demand for low and alcohol-free drinks, though. She conducted a review of pubs and clubs in London last year, which is about to be published nationally.

A YouGov poll showed that five million people signed up to take part in Dry January this year and Alcohol Concerns claim that the number of people participating in its New Year campaign has quadrupled in three years. Public Health England has carried out research suggesting 67% of people will reduce their alcohol consumption during the year and 8% will not drink alcohol at all.