Is America Going Sober? Alcohol, Gen-Z, and the Rise of New Vices

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