Why are younger generations drinking less?

In the first episode of Season 6 of Public Health Disrupted, Dr Xand van Tulleken and Professor Rochelle Burgess explore why younger generations are drinking less, and what that shift means for public health.

Alcohol consumption among young people has fallen sharply over the past two decades, but the reasons behind this change are complex. Is it greater awareness of alcohol harms, economic pressure, changing social lives, or wider shifts in how young people experience risk and wellbeing?

Joining Xand and Rochelle are Millie Gooch, founder of the Sober Girl Society, and Dr Melissa Oldham from the Department of Behavioural Science and Health at UCL. Together, they unpack what the data tells us, what sobriety and “drinking less” look like in everyday social life, and why community, policy and support systems matter if this trend is to lead to better health outcomes in the long term.

In this episode:

• Why alcohol consumption among young people has fallen in recent decades
• How social media, economic pressure and changing social norms are reshaping drinking culture
• The role of community in helping people navigate social life without alcohol
• Why supportive systems are essential for public health
• How policy, regulation and marketing influence our relationship with alcohol

Hosts:

Xand van Tulleken – Doctor, Writer, and TV Presenter and Rochelle Burgess – Professor of Global Mental Health and Social Justice at the UCL Institute for Global Health.

Resources and mentions:

Alcohol Change UK

Sober Girl Society

“What has disrupted your thinking?”

Millie: Song - Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen

Melissa: Book- Wintering by Katherine May

Production Credits:

Public Health Disrupted is a podcast from UCL Health of the Public. Recorded remotely and edited by Annabelle Buckland at Decibelle Creative / @decibelle_creative.

Want to be part of a live recording of Public Health Disrupted?
On 30 June 2026, the podcast will be recorded in front of a live audience for the first time at UCL's Bloomsbury Studio. Learn more and get your ticket.