Gen Z stopped drinking, and it’s cost alcohol companies almost $830 billion dollars in the past 5 years.

But that’s not even the biggest story.

The bigger story is how this has fundamentally changed society and how it will topple the college scam market, possibly even faster than AI and the student loan crisis.

Fewer people are drinking alcohol than ever before. Now, I personally have been sober since December 23rd, 2013—almost 13 years—so my feelings on the matter should be obvious.

However, some people are pretty gung-ho about their booze and think that this is a national tragedy.

As the old saying goes, alcohol is the only drug where people think you have a problem if you don’t do it.

With that said, I think all rational people will agree—regardless of the frequency or intensity of their personal consumption—that society doesn’t get better when a bunch of drunk people are running around doing the things that drunk people tend to do.

As of early 2026, U.S. alcohol consumption has hit a 90-year low, with only 54% of adults reporting they drink, driven by health concerns and the "sober curious" movement. Studies show 53% of adults now believe moderate drinking is unhealthy, with Gen Z leading this decline.

And alcohol companies are not happy about this one bit, by the way.

The global alcohol industry has lost approximately $830 billion in market value over the past four years, according to a Bloomberg index. Major beer, wine, and spirits companies have seen a ~46% decline since June 2021.

I want you to remember this stat and that year, 2021.

The year 2021 is going to do a lot of heavy lifting in the middle of this essay, while the loss in revenue is going to highlight a tragic failure by the largely crumbling university and college system that Gen-Z is currently helping pull down.

Hate them or love them, Gen-Z has their uses.

Maybe they are a bunch of nerds who prefer to talk online and slide in DMs rather than socialize in person, which is part of what’s driving this sobriety trend—but Gen-Z is doing something that even the full force of the United States government couldn’t do with a variety laws including the only amendment to ever be reversed—they are, en masse, choosing to not drink alcohol.

One could argue that the reasons why they aren’t drinking aren’t particularly positive—after all, they’re the generation that doesn’t go on dates and has way less sex than previous generations.

So while this behavior means they aren’t adding to the population—just look at the birth rates for people under 25—they aren’t subtracting from the population either.

At least not nearly as fast as generations before them, and that’s because alcohol brings death on faster in two ways.

• ​Read the rest on X​
• ​Read the rest on Substack​
• ​Watch on YouTube​

A Delicious Alcohol Alternative

Any alternative to drinking is good for you, but there are downsides.

Being sober is great for your health, but it can be terrible for your social life. In fact, one of the primary reasons people relapse—or not even try to get sober in the first place—is loneliness.

Mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages are great, but they don’t quite loosen you up the way that alcohol does. No matter how destructive booze can be, it’d be intellectually dishonest to say that it doesn’t facilitate social interaction.

But what if there was a drink that allowed you to get all of the social benefits of alcohol without experiencing any of the downsides of alcohol, but also being focused, energetic, dialed in, and social?

That’s where today’s sponsor, Yapper, comes into play.

Yapper is an alcohol substitute, but it functions more like a lightweight energy drink crossed with a heavy-duty nootropic that also calms you down without slowing you down.

The combination of Lion’s Mane, alpha GPC, panax ginseng, and a low dose of caffeine gets you in the zone, but it’s the l-theanine that makes you calm and relaxed. When you combine these two ingredient profiles, you get a drink that delivers the best parts of booze without the downsides.

You want to talk and be social, but you’re also relaxed and—unlike when you’re on your 5th drink—you actually remember what you’re talking about and aren’t annoying to other sober people.

And the cherry-lime flavor is delicious. Much tastier than a Red Bull and with way less caffeine.

Get a 12-pack of Yapper by clicking on my link here. Or, if you think you’ll drink them every day—and I think you will- especially once you see that it works both as a social drink and something to help you do deep work—just get 2. ​

​Give Yapper a try by clicking on my link here.​

Hard Lessons Of The Week

You must simultaneously believe that you're better than everyone around you and deserve more, while also working like you have something to prove.

You have to think you're the shit while thinking that you ain't shit at all—then bust your ass to prove the first part right and the second part wrong.

There’s a tension in that mindset that most people can’t hold.

The edge comes from holding both at once. You move like you’re destined for more, but you grind like you’re still trying to qualify for the opportunity.

That combination is what separates people who talk about potential from those who actually realize it.