Yep. Early Gen x would turn 18 in 1983 and the law raising the age to 21 went into effect in :86.
Poll reports drinking in U.S. at record low
- Thread starter ripcord
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Born in 1983 so 41 now. I was never a big drinker. Irish Catholic family so alcohol was always readily available in the house and I had no interest. My grandparents taught me how to mix Cuba Libras when I was 4 or 5 and I would hang out in the bar with my grandpa to sell the Catholic school candy. Besides a small glass of Scotch at my best friend's dad's funeral back in February, I haven't had alcohol since sometime in 2020. Before that I was a one beer and then soda when hanging out with friends. I don't like not being in control of myself, I don't like the taste of a lot of alcohol so it was no big loss for me. I grew up watching motorsports so I was bombarded with unrestricted tobacco and alcohol from a young age and just never had a real interest in either.
I'm sure because it reduces their legal exposure.
In any case the US is so car centric that teen DUI prevention was a big topic in the 1980's with MADD.
Why not drink things that don’t cause hangovers? Or mix, one drink then one water? I’m nowhere near the nexus of Gen X, but I have to agree with @edyvw here.I think as the boomers and Gen X got older the reason for drinking less is we get tired of bashing our heads against a wall the following day ... HANGOVERS and decide it's not worth it anymore.
My family history is only missing weekly meetings and nobody has died of anything before at least 68, but that mindset was, “come on over; enjoy the pool, sit on the deck, and chat. We’ll have some snacks; we’ll make dinner and enjoy the sunset while ignoring the pains of life and enjoying our friends. Then, the sun goes down and the Euchre cards and good sipping bourbons come out. We play til one team has surrendered or we’ve finished the bourbon. See you again tomorrow!”
As I edge closer to AARP membership eligibility, it’s a sad thing to see today’s kids reducing home-based drinking parties in favor of hookup culture at the club, especially considering the risk of being drugged & raped and/or trafficked. All that used to happen “back in the day” is you’d get made fun of tomorrow if you couldn’t hold your liquor!
Years ago I remember catching up with a former high school classmate mentioning to me that he was working a part time college job where he was over 18 (but under 21) but allowed to serve alcohol. I think it's also possible for someone under 21 to sell alcohol at a store, although I think most states have 18 as a lower limit to serve it directly.
We drank in high school. Back then we could buy beer and take it and girls out in the desert for a night of fun.
I never liked the taste of alcohol myself and quit drinking when I was old enough to buy it legally.
I have not touched it until about a years ago. Wife was making beer bread and had a beer left over which I tried to drink.
Got about 1/2 of that down and poured the rest out it tasted so awful.
I never liked the taste of alcohol myself and quit drinking when I was old enough to buy it legally.
I have not touched it until about a years ago. Wife was making beer bread and had a beer left over which I tried to drink.
Got about 1/2 of that down and poured the rest out it tasted so awful.
edyvw
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I know background. But that is precisely the problem. They have cars but they don’t know how to handle alcohol.
One of the highest DUI death rates in the US is among dry counties in Alabama. Reason? They get drunk and sit in a car to drive to another county to get more alcohol. Defeats the point of dry county.
I think of beer as "nap juice." About half a beer and I'm nodding off. I often go years without drinking anything.
edyvw
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Of course it is not.
However, alcohol is thousands of years old way to socialize.
History can be interesting.
It can get rather interesting where alcoholic beverages are part of the fabric. Especially where there are a lot of wineries or breweries. Napa and Sonoma Counties have all manner of wineries and breweries. Now there are a lot of tours and limo services that take personal driving out of the equation. I remember going to a winery near Seattle where I saw a few limos dropping off people. The tour and tastings were free, but I'm sure the limo cost a bit.
There are several breweries near me with lots of people drinking, and I don't recall ever seeing any kind of crackdown on driving in those areas. But yeah I'd hope that if an employee saw someone who looked to be unable to drive, they'd at least ask or perhaps offer to allow that person to sober up before driving.
I did ask someone at Russian River Brewing in Sonoma County how the local police dealt with drinking and driving. He said they were pretty relaxed about it. Said once he was working there and stopped by police. Then asked if he had been drinking. He said yes, and was told "Have a nice day" without any further interaction. But from I gather, he wasn't wasted but had some beers as is normal for people working there to know more about the product. I didn't feel comfortable driving right away so I just chilled out in the parking lot, took the self-guided tour more than once and then went off driving.
In the 80's, my teen years I could walk into most liquer stores and buy booze. I didn't even know where to buy weed around here. I think meth was the drug of choice here.
Owen Lucas
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I think addictive social media, i.e. TikTok is also keeping people from going out or getting into situations where one would drink. Drug use is also down, possibly a side effect of the lockdowns but my theory is the addiction of doom scrolling / social media has supplanted the need to get high by other means.
Just wait till the brain / electronics interface becomes commercially available.
Just wait till the brain / electronics interface becomes commercially available.
By virtue of their age their brains haven't developed to the point where they can accurately assess risk. Especially with regards to males.
https://neurolaunch.com/when-does-a-mans-brain-fully-develop/
". Contrary to popular belief, the male brain continues to develop well into young adulthood. In fact, some areas of the brain are still under construction until the mid-20s or even early 30s. It’s during this time that men start to really come into their own, developing better impulse control, emotional regulation, and decision-making skills".
Owen Lucas
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Good point. If we can keep people addicted to social media long enough, they might never start drinking, smoking, or doing drugs.
Haha. Almost as bad if they lack critical thinking skills.
Owen Lucas
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This will go the way of rotary telephones.
AI brain rot is a thing now. If you thought lack of thinking was a problem now, oh man it's getting nuts soon. The younger generations are using AI for EVERYTHING.
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I'm 35, I'm married and have been for 11 years, I have 2 sons that are 5 and 7 the oldest is autistic, I work 50 plus hours a week and I am a full time college student. I don't drink. Don't want to drink. Its expensive, taste terrible, and only adds stress, because on top of the stress life you add the stress of wanting alcohol.
I agree 100%.
Also never marrying, procreating, working or any of those other boring and restrictive things. Who says making TikTok dance videos isn't a productive activity.
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