By Emilie Oestreicher

Drinking plays a major role in college life, but Gen Z is rewriting the rules around it. Beer and shots now share space with mocktails and cannabis as students find new ways to wind down after a long school day. Health, expenses, and mental well-being all factor into why many are cutting down on alcohol. Together, these choices are creating a drinking culture that looks very different from that of the previous generation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, in 2018, 28% of college students abstained from alcohol, compared to 20% in 2000. The facts are clear: attitudes around drinking are shifting.

Mental health plays a significant role in this transformation. Gen Z has been described as the most anxious yet most open generation, with the Pew Research Center reporting that 42% have a diagnosed mental health condition. For many students, alcohol is not the solution for these problems and is often seen as something that only makes them worse. The idea of “hangxiety” captures that uneasy mix of a hangover and spiraling thoughts the morning after, a feeling many would rather avoid. This awareness has helped make sobriety less stigmatized and more respected.

The rising availability of cannabis has also changed drinking habits. In New York State, legal dispensaries are making cannabis more readily available, including Dazed Cannabis, just a short walk from Syracuse University’s campus. THC beverages are also entering the same spaces where alcohol once held a monopoly. Even when people are not partaking, the cultural presence of cannabis as a more natural option has influenced how students think about their downtime. For some, it feels like a calmer relaxation tool that doesn’t come with an extreme hangover or a high calorie count.

Health trends on social media add to this shift. Challenges like 75 Hard, Sober October, and Dry January have gained traction on social media. Trending lifestyles, such as the “clean girl aesthetic,” promote powdered greens, Pilates, and sleepy girl mocktails instead of a tequila-filled night out. Wellness has become its own flex, and drinking doesn’t fit neatly into that picture.

College drinking culture is clearly evolving. Whether it is swapping vodka sodas for a mocktail, stopping by Dazed instead of Harry’s, or ending the night with a sleep-inducing concoction, college kids are proving that fun does not always need to come in a red Solo cup. The next generation of nights out may look a little different, but they are still about finding ways to relax and have a good time.