New research from UCL indicates a significant rise in binge drinking among Generation Z. At 23 years old, 68% of Gen Z reported binge drinking at least once in the past year, and nearly a third did so monthly.
This represents a tripling of regular binge drinking rates since their late teens, surpassing figures reported by millennials at the same age. Dr. Aase Villadsen, lead author of the study, noted that despite some trends suggesting increased sobriety among younger generations, this data points to a different reality for some Gen Z individuals entering their early twenties.
The study, which tracked 19,000 individuals born between 2000-2002, also examined other substance use. While smoking rates remained low, vaping saw a substantial increase, with 20% of 23-year-olds reporting vaping compared to 3% at age 17. Gambling also emerged as a concern, with one in three participants reporting gambling, and nearly 5% experiencing addiction issues. Nearly half tried cannabis, and a third experimented with harder drugs.
Men were more prone to frequent binge drinking, smoking, drug use, and gambling problems. Geographically, binge drinking was more prevalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Substance use was generally higher among young people of White and Mixed heritage, though sample sizes for minority ethnic groups were limited for definitive conclusions. The findings underscore the need for continued policy focus on substance use and addictive behaviors in young adults.