Choosing not to drink alcohol has become a lot more popular recently, especially among the younger generation. New Year's Eve celebrations can get pretty rowdy, especially if alcohol is involved.
With 2024 right around the corner, many are ready to crack open the New Year. But while the bubbly and booze will be flowing the next few days, others are taking the approach of abstinence and there's one age group in particular deciding to keep the booze in the bottle and on the shelf.
Young adults are abstaining from drinking more than ever.
"This in part has to do with more education being available around alcohol and the possible side effects," Hazelden-Betty Ford's Manuel Garcia explains. "Also, I think that the younger generation has more interest in other substances."
That other substance would be the recently legalized marijuana in Minnesota and several other states making it much more available.
Garcia says he'd like to see more non-alcoholic events.
"I do think that there's more awareness and I hope that more organizations and spaces provide non-alcoholic options for people who are just trying to make health-conscious decisions," says Garcia.
For those who do drink, Garcia says four or more beverages for women and five or more for men in a couple hours would be considered binge drinking.
"There is hope and there is so much power and if you're recognizing that alcohol is impacting your life in a way that you don't want it to," Garcia says. "Then there is help available and we can help you."