One of the things that sets Generation Z apart is that they are far less interested in getting drunk. The profound change in the way young people understand leisure and social relationships could be the cause, studies are saying.

Christians consulted by Evangelical Focus in Italy, Czechia, Albania, Finland and Belgium confirmed this trend.

“There is a decline in consumption of alcohol”, says Leendert Wolters, a missionary in Prague. Alcohol consumption among adolescents grew continuously in the Czech Republic between 1995 and 2011, but then “started declining”, he explains. 

In a country with a strong beer-drinking tradition, those aged 18–24 “drink most on Fridays, slightly less on Saturdays, and drink alcohol minimally on other days of the week”.

In the south, another country famous for its alcohol production, sees a similar trend. “Wine is an integral part of Italian culture”, says René Breuel, an evangelical pastor in Rome, but “younger generations seem to drink less than people their age in previous generations. They often ‘hang out’ online, instead of physically at bars”. 

A 20% fall in alcohol consumption

According to data collected in an article published by Euronews, the consumption of alcohol per person aged 15 and older in the continent fell from 12 litres of ‘pure alcohol’ (the measure used by the World Health Organization) in 2000 to 9.5 in 2020.

Latvia, Czechia, Lithuania, and Austria are the countries where people drink most. Turkey, Netherlands, Greece, and Albania are amongst those where alcohol has a minor presence.  

“It has been a while since I last saw someone walking down the streets drunk”, says Alesio Sema, who serves as secretary general of the Evangelical Alliance of Albania. “Most people would drink enough just for pleasure with their family or friends but never go beyond limits”. 

Up in the north, “alcohol use by young people has been on the decline for a long time”, says Matti Korhonen, a journalist in Finland. “According to a study published a year ago, 37% of young adults say they have reduced their alcohol consumption and 10% do not drink alcohol at all”.

Change of habits

In Belgium, as in other places, young women are those who lead the trend. “Among the women of my generation there is perhaps a reflection on whether drinking alcohol is healthy or not”, says Joëlle Philippe, a millennial working in Brussels. “And on the other hand, it is possible that people prioritise other things in their spending (travel and experiences...) rather than spending money on going out partying”.

Korhonen sees this change of habits in the Nordic countries as well. Drinking among young people is “not as trendy as it used to be”, and “many think about their own health” more.

The journalist continues: “Youth culture in Finland has changed strongly in a few decades. Back in the 1990s, we lived in a more unified culture, but today youth culture consists of several different subcultures. Drinking is not necessarily trendy anymore today among all subcultures”.

This said, the truth is that “many still feel pressure to consume alcohol at parties” as Finns have traditionally associated fun to alcohol.

Social media a new addictive consumption

The question then becomes whether alcohol is giving way to new forms of addictive behaviours.

“In Italy, instead of alcohol, technology, social media, and pornography, seem to be the most common addictions for younger generations”, says René Breuel.

Digital addictions are also an issue in the Czech Republic. “An estimated 125,000 people aged 15 and over fall into the high-risk category. The highest proportion of people at risk is in the 15-24 age group”, says Wolters.

In Finland, “the consumption of social media becomes a kind of substitute for the use of alcohol”, adds Korhonen.

Other substances taking over

But the younger generations are also accessing other harmful substances.

“Alternative products, especially electronic cigarettes (or vaporizers), heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, have been growing in popularity” in Czechia, “especially among young adults”. Cannabis consumption remained stable over the long term, but “the proportion of cannabis users among young adults (up to 34 years of age) has been slightly increasing”.

In Albania, the “substitute for alcohol now is smoking. This is a battle that we are facing with the young generation, especially teenagers and young adults”. 

The use of alternative drugs is “worrying” as well in Finland.

How churches see alcohol

One more question has to do with how evangelical churches approach the issue of drinking.

Some of the respondents point to the influence of American missionaries, many of which “made the point of avoiding alcohol”. But in Europe, drinking a beer or a glass of wine is no longer seen as an issue in many churches.

“Moderate consumption of alcohol is unproblematic for most Italian evangelicals”, says Breuel. “They might look down on drinking outside meals and heavier substances like whiskey or vodka, but a glass of wine at the dinner table is culturally appreciated and religiously accepted”.

Some time ago, in Finland, “absolutism was very popular among evangelical Christians, but nowadays many accept moderate drinking and use moderately themselves”, says Korhonen. “In that sense, the alcohol consumption habits of evangelical Christians and others have converged”.

“In Albanian churches, some churches prohibit alcohol but most of churches don’t see it as a problem, only when people go beyond and get drunk”, concludes Sema.

But the whole conversation should go deeper, concludes René Breuel. “Christians need to think about the extent they are shaping young people”. In today’s Europe, “our spiritual formation needs to include ‘counter-formation’ efforts that shed light on the formative power of late modernity”.