Why the Next Generation Is Ditching Alcohol

“Dry January” is almost over—the annual reset when people swear off alcohol for a month, whether for health, discipline, curiosity, or recovery. 

While some are opting to detox from alcohol during the month of January, something bigger is happening beneath the surface: An entire generation is quietly walking away from alcohol altogether. 

A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 50% of young adults ages 18-34 reported they drink—down from 72% two decades prior. And yet, alcohol still sits at the center of modern social life—networking events, happy hours, girls’ nights out, and dating culture. If you don’t drink, you’re expected to explain yourself. 

In a culture that normalizes constant consumption, slipping into sipping habitually can be like a frog in slowly boiling water; you don’t notice the danger until alcohol starts stealing your clarity, your relationships, your peace, and eventually your purpose. 

Ericka Andersen knows this song and dance all too well. She joins this week’s “Problematic Women” to make the case for sobriety in a culture so hellbent against it.  

Andersen, the author of “Freely Sober: Rethinking Alcohol Through the Lens of Faith,” shares the story of her personal relationship with alcohol and how she leaned not only on facts, but also on her faith, to find her way out.