Drinking your troubles away

No one is drinking anymore.

We’ve discussed this before, but it’s quietly becoming a pretty defining cultural and commerce trend of our age.

New data found Australian wine exports have dropped to their lowest level in 22 years as worldwide wine consumption fell to its lowest level since 1961.

In China, production of baijiu, the national spirit, has declined for nine straight years

In the US, wine distributor the Republic National Distributing Company filed for bankruptcy, blaming Americans' lack of drinking.

And in Ireland - yes that Ireland - a new study found alcohol consumption dropped by more than a third last year compared to the average in 2001. 

This trend isn’t being driven by some new found joie de vivre. In fact, happiness is plummeting. Earlier this year, Australia fell to its lowest ranking in the World Happiness Report. Satisfaction with life among Aussies is lower now than during the depths of the pandemic.

It’s not that we don’t have troubles to drink away, we’re simply choosing to deal with them in a different fashion. How, you may ask? With therapy, meditation, and a positive attitude? Apparently not. 

A study in the US found that while alcohol use was declining, cannabis consumption was on the up. Walk around pretty much any major western city and the smell supports the data.

Our vices may be changing, but our ways of dealing with the world appear pretty familiar.