In my experience the 60+ demographic have had far more damage done.

Technology, culture, legalization of pot, adtech, covid, there are a metric ton of factors that all had significant impact on both decreasing socialization and reduction in drinking. And lowering the birth rates, and the number of healthy relationships, healthy friendships, etc.

I'm for legalizing all drugs, regulating the sale, ensuring quality and purity, and educating the public. Cognitive liberty is sacred - but the dip in drinking has a whole lot of causes.

A healthier society would be more social and get out and drink more, I think.

Millennials love their weed, party drugs too, it took over Gen X drinking in some way.

But I find Zoomers to be rather tame in terms of drinking, smoking, drugs, unsafe sex, etc... Few of the traditional vices, really.

I'd wager how expensive it has gotten plus a year or two of lockdowns which lead to a whole generation of people not going out to get wasted as soon as they're legally allowed to had way more effect.

Oh, and weed being increasingly legal to consume.

Real life experience with alcoholics would at-best be constant over time, or be diminishing (since gen Z drinks less).

Also seems like the science on whether science communication actual changes behavior doesn't point towards it being much of a cause here.

As one of said generation, I would chalk it up to instant communication creating innumerable shallow remote relationships that significantly replace time spent with others in person.