More Millennials Are Drinking In Moderation

Here’s something we can cheers to — a new survey shows millennials are drinking in moderation, or at least intend to. Far from the booze-hound hipsters this generation has a reputation for being, it seems more likely that millennials, and especially women, are opting to stay away from binge drinking. The data gathered is thanks to Heineken, which commissioned the survey as part of its Enjoy Heineken Responsibly campaign. The survey questioned 5,000 beer drinkers between the ages of 21 and 35 about how they drink in order to determine what "moderation" means to millennials when it comes to alcohol.

The findings are actually quite uplifting, given how many are quick to assume that we live in a generation of dangerous binge drinking. According to those surveyed, millennials reported they are keen on practicing moderation, where "moderation" means allowing yourself a drink or two, but not to the point where it changes your behavior or impairs you in any way. Millennials — and especially millennial women — said they normally choose to forgo wild nights of drinking, with 75 percent of total respondents and 76 percent of females saying they moderate their drinking habits on a majority of occasions when out at the bar, or at a social drinking occasion. Here are some other interesting takeaways from the survey:

1. More than one third of respondents said they ALWAYS moderate their alcohol intake

If you were worried that the stats were skewed to people who only moderated on occasion as opposed to all the time, you'll be pleased to know that 38 percent of those surveyed, and 41 percent of women, said they always drink in moderation.

2. The priorities of aging millennials are shifting

The survey also found that millennials would rather enjoy a night out with friends and food than a night filled with booze. Sounds brilliant to me.

3. Millennials respect friends who don't drink

Of the millennials surveyed, 50 percent said they would respect a friend's choice not to drink without teasing, which is a nice thought. Let's see if we can raise that number in 2016, shall we?

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