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Is UK Student Drinking Culture Dead?
There’s no denying the drinking culture that’s existed in the UK for many decades, and how it has filtered into university life over the years. From Fresher’s week at the start of the academic year, to student union bars and club party-themed nights offering cheap drinks to students.
According to a 2022 survey by SOS UK, 81% of respondents think that drinking and getting drunk is part of university culture.
Yet despite this, 41% of Gen Z associate alcohol with vulnerability, anxiety, and abuse.
Following the pandemic and the crisis in education that occurred due to the movement of online learning, it seems that Gen Z placed their performance at work and university above socialising on their list of priorities.
When considering the negative health effects of the consumption of alcohol, it’s hard to see how drinking culture will continue to fit into student life.
As we know, the negative health effects from alcohol include:
- Poor sleep – Alcohol can impact your sleeping pattern, which can lead to fatigue and lack of energy.
- Anxiety – Alcohol can impact your mental health in many ways, including the worsening of feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Impact on physical health – Drinking alcohol takes a toll on your body’s health, from damage to the liver, to a reduction in your immune system’s functionality. Plus the hangover symptoms including dehydration, headaches, sickness and loss of appetite.
With the next generation increasingly more aware of these negative impacts on our physical and mental health, and with 86% of Gen Zers considering their mental as important as their physical, does this mean an end to the university drinking culture in the UK as we know it?
If you are feeling pressured by your peers to participate in activities revolving around alcohol, or you simply feel sober-curious and want to learn more about the benefits, check out this post from Student Beans. It’s packed full of advice, from exciting social events that don’t focus on alcohol, to what are the best non-alcoholic drinks to order!
Written by the Nurtur Team