Is America Going Sober? Alcohol, Gen-Z, and the Rise of New Vices
Description
America is drinking less, but is that really a good thing? In this Home Team episode, we break down the stats, debate whether alcohol is truly on the decline, and ask the bigger question: what’s replacing it? From vaping to THC, pharma-driven “cure alls,” and Japan’s Metabo Law, this conversation covers the cultural shift around drinking—and whether it’s leading us toward better health or just new problems.
Timestamps:
[0:00 ] Why Gen-Z is drinking less
[1:44 ] Declining alcohol statistics
[4:00 ] The case for giving it up
[5:00 ] Alcohol and personal freedom
[7:04 ] Are stats misleading? Depression + screen time rise
[8:34 ] Questionable polling and fake protests
[10:20 ] Alcohol’s dangers (and its upsides)
[12:22 ] Why “not drinking” feels like a big deal
[15:10 ] Peer pressure is fading
[15:40 ] Have kids just swapped alcohol for vaping + THC?
[16:35 ] Parents’ role in showing balance
[21:30 ] The reality of being compromised
[22:45 ] Not letting nights ruin mornings
[23:30 ] When to cut alcohol out (and is it just alcohol?)
[29:20 ] You don’t know what you don’t know
[30:15 ] What happened with Raja Jackson
[36:03 ] Punishment in the ring
[38:30 ] Women’s sports boom in California
[40:51 ] Serena Williams and GLP-1
[45:55 ] Are we overcorrecting?
[50:00 ] The danger of “cure-alls” and big profits
[54:50 ] Why adults must make informed choices
[57:42 ] Why pharma ads aren’t legal elsewhere
[1:02:00 ] Japan’s Metabo Law
United States
