Quick Take
UC Santa Cruz student Carly Pavlin shares why she gave up alcohol just months before her 21st birthday. From avoiding the “hangxiety” that comes with drinking to discovering sober-friendly hangouts in Santa Cruz, she’s finding that skipping booze has opened up richer routines, deeper connections and a clearer sense of presence. Her story echoes broader trends: Fewer Gen Z adults are drinking, citing health concerns, financial costs and a culture that increasingly embraces alternatives like mocktails and sober social spaces.
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I decided to get sober in March, just a few months before my 21st birthday. But not because it was trendy or because I believed I was an alcoholic.
I drove across the country twice and what stood out most – besides the diverse beauty of the states – was the number of billboards advertising alcohol. The boards became increasingly controversial and religious as I headed toward middle America (mostly promoting creationism and insisting abortion is murder). But the one consistency, from New York to San Francisco, was alcohol.
Alcohol is a depressant and carcinogen. But it’s also a social lubricant.
In college at UC Santa Cruz, I often find myself surrounded by new people. Grabbing a drink can help spark new connections, and it becomes an activity of its own when conversation falls silent.
During my drive from New York to Santa Cruz, I got to thinking about alcohol’s prevalence in society. Somehow, it lives in every crevice of our culture. Long day at work? Have a beer to ease your nerves. Going through a breakup? A bottle of wine will quell the misery. The New York Times last June published another article about the negative health effects of drinking, and with the 75 Hard challenge trending, I feel compelled to reconsider my alcohol consumption.
The challenge – started in 2019 by Andy Frisella – requires daily physical activity and nutritional planning, but, importantly, prohibits alcohol. It’s all over the internet, and in our media-obsessed world, the posts about how alcohol rots your skin and kills collagen production are endless.
Gen Z drinks less than the previous generations, and not just because cocktails are $18. Growing up in the age of information, we have access to mountains of knowledge and advice from doctors and experts, and not just regarding alcohol.
I’ve been waitressing since I was 18, and restaurants are known for their heavy drinking culture; grabbing a drink with coworkers is basically part of the shift. But I’m also a college student, which means I’m surrounded by excuses to drink, and not just on weekends: thirsty Thursday and wine Wednesday are only a few.
I’ve found that since I cut alcohol out of my diet, everyone wants to know why. Even in Santa Cruz – a town crawling with barefoot herbal medicine enthusiasts – I am questioned almost every time I decline a beer.
I usually just say I’m doing the 75 Hard challenge, but truly I had no idea how much I’d fall in love with life without alcohol. After having a couple of drinks, I’d wake up with “hangxiety”: pounding headache, heightened anxiety, the spins … you know.
In spring 2021, the National College Health Assessment survey reported that nearly a fifth of UCSC students who drink experienced more negative outcomes as a result of alcohol.
Since March, I’ve found that Pacific Avenue is actually full of sober fun.
Young sober people hang out at Lulu Carpenter’s, which has great bagels and beautiful Tiffany lamps. MeloMelo Kava Bar farther down Pacific draws a similar crowd. Santa Cruz is mostly known for its stoner culture anyway, so many of its bars and restaurants already have great mocktails.
My housemate bartends at Surf City Billiards on Pacific, which offers painting nights and darts (besides delicious appetizers and drinks).
Mocktails take just as much effort to make as cocktails, except they don’t give you a hangover the next day. Getting one on a night out keeps your hands occupied and your wallet full. Nonalcoholic beer is also an option; Coronas are my favorite. They taste identical and nobody knows the difference.
Instead of bringing a bottle of wine to a birthday, I’ve begun bringing something homemade. I’ve discovered I make killer banana bread, and the best part about it is the Barhi dates. These dates are sold at the Aptos farmers market, which begins at 8 a.m. on Saturdays. A few months ago you couldn’t have paid me to drag myself across town for it, but nowadays I’m there every weekend (and this bread just keeps getting better).
The markets are a fun sober activity of their own. They have tons of seasonal produce and crafty booths to explore on the weekends.
If I’ve learned anything over the past four months, it’s that I prefer to never deal with a hangover. On my 21st birthday, I went back to New York to be with my family. I remember my visit vividly, and am now more present than ever in all of my experiences.
I can’t say for certain that I’ll never drink again, but right now this choice is serving me better than any bartender ever did.
Carly Pavlin is a 21-year-old New York native and writer now based in Santa Cruz. When she’s not writing, she’s surfing, waitressing or road-tripping along the coast. In spring, she took Lookout Community Voices opinion editor Jody K. Biehl’s “How To Write Like a Journalist” course at UC Santa Cruz, where she began writing her first piece, marking the beginning of what she hopes will be a lifelong writing career.