Sober-Curious Movement Surges: Top States Cutting Back on Booze

0:00It's April 18th. Dallas News Today starts now. AI powered and ready. I'm Cory, with the story. The sober, curious movement is picking up steam nationwide, with folks cutting back on booze like never before. Younger adults are leading the charge, poll show, ditching drinks for health reasons, and more. A fresh analysis from Trace 1 crunched the numbers from government data spanning 2003 to 2025, spotlighting the states with the sharpest drops. Top of the list, Massachusetts saw a 13.3% percentage point plunge from its 2013 peak. Arizona followed close with 12.8 points down since 2005, then Maryland at 11.1 from 2015. Wisconsin 10.6 since 2005, and Connecticut 10.2 off its 2018 high. Meanwhile, reactions vary by region, with the southeast holding steady. No big changes in spots like Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, or West Virginia.

1:02That area is always sip less overall, bucking the national trend, where consumption's dipping everywhere else. Digging into new findings, alcohol use stays higher up north thanks to deep rooted beer and spirit traditions, plus more social vibes and fewer. Cultural breaks on drinking. Demographics and history play in two. Keeping those habits sticky, as these shifts ripple out, whether for wallet, faith, or just feeling better, America's boo scene is evolving fast-proving curiosity about sober. Living is here to stay.