‘We used to go to Mythos, to Reckless. To Napa at the weekend in the summer. And we drank – a lot!’

“In Limassol, at my cousin’s wedding, my mum had like six mojitos!” exclaims Maria Spyrou.

“And she has wine most days. My dad is the same,” she adds, “but with beer – he has three or four KEOs every night.”

Aged 25, Maria is part of a new generation: Gen Z. Around the world, they’re noted for doing something no previous age group has done. They’ve stopped drinking!

Not entirely – the stats show that most of these 13 to 28-year-olds who are over the legal age still indulge. But not nearly as much as their forebears – who are, it transpires, actually drinking more than ever before!

In the US, Gallup found that over the last two decades alcohol consumption has actually increased by 10 per cent in those ages 55 and older. But during the same period, the number of under-35s who drink decreased by 10 per cent. And this younger generation also drink less frequently, and are less likely to drink to excess.

The same has happened in Britain.

Almost half of those aged 18 to 34 have given up drinking entirely. The NHS reports that the proportion of pupils who have ever had an alcoholic drink decreased from by three per cent between 2019 and 2021. And the University of Sheffield found that, over the last 10 years, young people in England had decreased their consumption levels, reduced drunken binges, and had a less positive attitude towards alcohol.

Okay, I hear you say. But what about Cyprus? We’re Mediterranean – we love a KEO, have wine with meals, enjoy cocktails at sunset…

Well, the latest available data from the World Health Organisation suggests that Cyprus may be following suit. The trend is slower, more gradual. But it’s still happening…

In 2010, 40 per cent of females and 18 per cent of males in Cyprus aged 15 to 24 abstained from drinking altogether. By 2016 those figures had risen to 50 per cent and 24 per cent.

Today, almost a decade on, there’s no direct research into alcohol consumption among younger people. But we do know that, across all ages, Cyprus has seen a significant decrease in both alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking. And in smoking too – though the use of e-cigarettes, cannabis, other illicit drugs, and non-prescription tranquilisers and sedatives is on the up.

“I rarely drink,” says 19-year-old Sofia Michael. “But I do vape. And sometimes I smoke weed. I just don’t like the taste of alcohol; I don’t like the way it makes me lose control, the way my head feels like it’s exploding the next morning.

“I want to have fun with my friends when we go out – I don’t want to pass out from drinking. At least when I vape or something, I don’t lose control. And, as a woman, that’s safer.”

Young men still drink more than young women, though the stats suggest even they are reducing consumption.

“It’s harder for men I think,” says 24-year-old Dimis Philippou. “We kind of feel that if all our friends are doing it we need to keep up.

“But I don’t drink crazy amounts,” he adds. “When we go out, I’ll have a few beers or cocktails and that’s it. I won’t go overboard, because I don’t want to look stupid – there’s always someone taking photos and posting them on Instagram or something. And I don’t need either my family or my employers to see me looking like an idiot!”

Dimis raises a good point. Among the reasons suggested for the global decrease in youth drinking is the rise of social media. But it’s not just concern about who will snap a pic when you’re three sheets to the wind. It’s also the internet culture…

“When I was in my teens and twenties, we were out every night,” says 53-year-old Marios Vasiliou. “We used to go to Mythos, to Reckless. To Napa at the weekends in the summer. And a huge part of that was drinking – we drank a lot!

“My own kids, however, are different,” he continues. “Yes, they go out – but not nearly as much as I did. They talk to their friends online now, they socialise on apps and stuff. And they’re doing that from home, where they’re definitely not drinking alcohol!”

28-year-old Chris Odysseos suggests that money is also an issue for Gen Z.

“My dad told me that cocktails were like one or two pounds in his day. Now, you’re lucky if you get change from 10 euros. And it’s not like my age group has lots of money – we’re probably worse off financially than any previous generation.”

Chris adds that Gen Z has costs the previous generation didn’t. “My dad didn’t have to pay a phone bill, a data plan,” he says. “He didn’t need to buy a new laptop every few years, or upgrade a mobile. Tech is great, I’m glad I live in the digital age. But it’s not cheap. Tell me how I can afford to drink more and maybe I’ll do it!”

For some, health consciousness and status also play a part in falling consumption.

“Why would I want to poison my body?” asks 18-year-old Emily Iosif. “And anyway, it’s cooler to say you don’t drink. It sets you apart. My generation isn’t interested in all that polished perfection we see online. We want to be genuine, authentic, true to ourselves. We don’t want to be the same; we want to be different.”

Whether the issue is cost, safety, online socialising, health, or a desire to stand apart, Gen Z is redefining drinking culture. Unlike previous generations, for whom alcohol was a rite of passage, a social lubricant, or even an expectation, today’s young adults are choosing to drink less – or not at all.

Cyprus, as always, is following the trend at a leisurely pace – but the shift is there. While Millenials sip martinis, and Gen X enjoy Xynisteri, the Z in this generation will never stand for zivania!

Some names have been changed