What in the World, Why is everyone ditching alcohol?

What in the World

Why is everyone ditching alcohol?

30 July 2026

Available for over a year

You might have heard Gen Z being called the “sober generation” - the data suggests that we’re less likely to drink than older generations, that alcohol-free brands are getting more popular with under-30s and there’s a huge push towards sobriety and wellness culture more generally. At the same time, pre-mixed cocktails are flying off the shelves - and new figures suggest that binge drinking has gone up.

So is Gen Z really drinking less than previous generations? Or is that just a myth?

In this episode, we go to one of London’s alcohol-free pubs to chat to three guests who all stopped drinking in their 20s: Millie, founder of the Sober Girl Society and author of HANGXIETY, Daniel, creative director of The Scene, a South Asian-led collective organising alcohol-free events in London, and Tyler, a content creator. We discuss how drinking culture is changing — and whether quitting alcohol is on the rise for Gen Z.

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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart

Producers: Chelsea Coates and William Lee Adams

Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal

Editor: Verity Wilde