Coby Douangpanya and his friends love Tucson’s Thursday party scene.

Douangpanya says it’s a tradition to start at Main Gate on University Boulevard and stop at Gentle Ben’s before hitting North Fourth Avenue and an obligatory stop at O’Malley’s before dropping in at The Hut, a popular Fourth Avenue Thursday night destination.

That’s where you’ll find long lines wrapping around the club at 305 N. Fourth Ave. as the crowd gathers on the outdoor patio in the shadow of the landmark, 42-foot tall Moai sculpture. 

Inside, they gather near the bar to order the fishbowl, a 40-ounce cocktail that includes vodka, tea and other juices, while they wait their turn to sing on the karaoke stage.

Go out on any given Thursday, and you’ll find a bustling Tucson social scene, with young people drinking and bar hopping around University Boulevard, Fourth Avenue and East Congress Street.

Apparently Tucson Gen-Zers didn’t get the memo. 

Their generation, born between 1997 and 2012, isn’t drinking as much. 

Their  alcohol consumption has dropped as part of nationwide abstinence movements including Dry January and Sober Curious, and amid recent health studies showing the risk of cancer and heart diseases from alcohol.

Douangpanya said he enjoys going out on Thursday nights, but he doesn’t drink. He said he enjoys the sober experience. 

He said his generation is “becoming more aware of how alcohol affects you,” he said. 

Douangpanya said he noticed the health and culture of drinking has shifted with young people being more aware of how alcohol affects their body and how it can take a toll on their future, especially after college. Health risks include cancer, liver disease and potential death. 

AddictionResource.net reports that only 20% of young people under the age of 28 regularly consume alcohol. Some of this is inspired by campaigns including Dry January, where you abstain from drinking through the first month of the new year; and Sober Curious, which has young people questioning drinking habits altogether. 

Young people also don’t have the money to drink with the rising cost of alcohol;  the average price of a quality bottle of wine could start at $30. 

While the generation might not be drinking as much, that doesn’t mean they are remaining sober. 

Gen-Z has  the highest rates of drug consumption, according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration.  That is particularly true in states like Arizona where recreational marijuana is legal. 

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.