This is pretty much the explanation---the decline in alcohol revenue mirrors the rise in cannabis sales. The alcohol decline started in 2012, when the first states legalized marijuana.
Also, help for alcohol abuse is more accessible and socially accepted than ever before. Sober movements overall are having a moment in the US, even though some traditional recovery membership like AA is slightly declining.
Exactly. Add in tip + tax and you're not leaving without spending ~$40 for two cocktails and ~$60 for 3 cocktails. Many, if not most, people sit at bars doom-scrolling on their phone and generally are anti-social. It's just not a fun, enjoyable experience most of the time.
There are so many other ways to self medicate now! Why be a lonely drunk when you can be a social media trolling energy drink swilling porn addicted sports gambler
People can still just go do stuff, but they don't. They stay inside and watch screens all day because they're poor and sick and depressed and exhausted and addicted to their phones.
I suspect there is more to this story. Post pandemic, I wonder if there are more people drinking on their lonesome as a coping strategy with fewer people drinking socially because it is too expensive to do so.
My father was in the former category, and ultimately it was alcohol that killed him. He thought he was a moderate drinker, not an alcoholic, and I doubt he would have self-reported drinking 'heavily' with his beer-goggles on. As far as he was concerned, he had always enjoyed a glass of wine with a meal, to have spirits as a 'night cap' and beer on sunny afternoons.
I saw the progression, and I went the other way, from 'enjoying' a drink on special occasions, always socially, never home alone, to complete abstinence. I decided that I no longer wanted to enable the alcohol dependent person by drinking, or have the health complications.
Looking back on the drinking I have done over the years, it was always people that brought me pleasure, not that vile alcohol stuff that brought us together. Motivation for going to the pub was meeting certain people, not drinking particular beverages.
As you can imagine, I am going to gleefully report 'I never touch that poison' to a pollster, whereas my father would never report drinking more than he used to, because he didn't see what was going on with his liver (and wallet).
I'd love to see the drinking stats for male millennials over the past 15 to 20 years. I bet there's a big drop as they age out of prime beer drinking age and start moving into middle age. I say this as I'm part of that demographic, and I hardly drink anymore after having one or 2 craft beers a night in my 20s.
Edit: The downturn in drinking has huge ramifications for restaurants as they make a lot of profit on alcohol.
I wonder how legal marijuana ties in? I know plenty of people that have switched.
This is pretty much the explanation---the decline in alcohol revenue mirrors the rise in cannabis sales. The alcohol decline started in 2012, when the first states legalized marijuana.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/daily-cannabis-vs-alcoho...
I still prefer alcohol as it's self-regulating for me. It lets me know the next morning when I've overdone it.
Weed hangovers are definitely a thing that happens
This is no doubt part of the reason why the farm bill loophole is being closed: lobbying pressure from those whose bottom line has been impacted.
Also, help for alcohol abuse is more accessible and socially accepted than ever before. Sober movements overall are having a moment in the US, even though some traditional recovery membership like AA is slightly declining.
I'm sure that's a huge part of it. I also wonder if GLP1 meds are having an effect.
Americans drinking "alcohol". I thought this was about depletion of potable water.
"Drinking" in isolation refers to alcohol in idiomatic American English.
Cocktails, on average, are like $15.
What did the industry expect?
Cocktails are margin error on drinking stats
Beer at bar $7. What did industry expect?
And, if you want to be overly precise, can you tell us the average prices and consumption for cocktails, shots, wine serving, and beer?
The rent is too damn high.
Totally not what the numbers say in TFA. Big shift from beer to liquor (which I presume to mean cocktails for a big share of that.)
Exactly. Add in tip + tax and you're not leaving without spending ~$40 for two cocktails and ~$60 for 3 cocktails. Many, if not most, people sit at bars doom-scrolling on their phone and generally are anti-social. It's just not a fun, enjoyable experience most of the time.
Americans' disposable income and time remains at record low: Sofa Poll
There are so many other ways to self medicate now! Why be a lonely drunk when you can be a social media trolling energy drink swilling porn addicted sports gambler
One of the reasons people don't drink anymore is because they don't go out with their friends that much.
We're a very lonely generation.
Since the drinking reduction is across all ages, we're a very lonely people...
1. Hangovers are awful.
2. There are viable alternatives (THC; mocktails; 0.5%/0% beer that is drinkable).
3. The Third Place is dead and people don't socialize as much anymore.
4. Economic conditions are abysmal and directly affect prices and extra money to spend.
I really don’t get this “third place” thing. People can still just go do stuff like they always could. Clubs, teams, community events all still exist.
People can still just go do stuff, but they don't. They stay inside and watch screens all day because they're poor and sick and depressed and exhausted and addicted to their phones.
I suspect there is more to this story. Post pandemic, I wonder if there are more people drinking on their lonesome as a coping strategy with fewer people drinking socially because it is too expensive to do so.
My father was in the former category, and ultimately it was alcohol that killed him. He thought he was a moderate drinker, not an alcoholic, and I doubt he would have self-reported drinking 'heavily' with his beer-goggles on. As far as he was concerned, he had always enjoyed a glass of wine with a meal, to have spirits as a 'night cap' and beer on sunny afternoons.
I saw the progression, and I went the other way, from 'enjoying' a drink on special occasions, always socially, never home alone, to complete abstinence. I decided that I no longer wanted to enable the alcohol dependent person by drinking, or have the health complications.
Looking back on the drinking I have done over the years, it was always people that brought me pleasure, not that vile alcohol stuff that brought us together. Motivation for going to the pub was meeting certain people, not drinking particular beverages.
As you can imagine, I am going to gleefully report 'I never touch that poison' to a pollster, whereas my father would never report drinking more than he used to, because he didn't see what was going on with his liver (and wallet).
I'd love to see the drinking stats for male millennials over the past 15 to 20 years. I bet there's a big drop as they age out of prime beer drinking age and start moving into middle age. I say this as I'm part of that demographic, and I hardly drink anymore after having one or 2 craft beers a night in my 20s.
Edit: The downturn in drinking has huge ramifications for restaurants as they make a lot of profit on alcohol.
Kind of a junk article if it doesn't mention the effect of Ozempic/GLP-1s.