The worst question to ask someone at a holiday party is the one half of Americans are asking

The New York Post reported that “Why Not Drink?” can be one of the most explosive questions at holiday parties. The latest research survey found that more than half (52%) of people believe it is inappropriate to ask others at festive gatherings “Why don’t you have a drink?” More and more people value drinking autonomy and believe that they should not encourage others to drink or comment on others’ drinking. Party hosts should also provide non-alcoholic beverages to allow guests to choose freely.

This report was commissioned by Talker Research and commissioned by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking. It surveyed 2,000 people aged 21 and above who have the habit of drinking alcohol in daily life. It explored drinking behavior during festivals, different generations’ views on party etiquette and how they view moderate drinking and personal choices.

The results show that 74% of Baby Boomer respondents believe it is inappropriate to ask others why they don’t drink alcohol; Only 37% of Generation Z hold this view. The survey also shows that the unspoken rules of holiday gatherings are changing, as people are respecting individual preferences rather than expecting everyone to drink the same way.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) believe it is rude to force others to have “one more drink”; Drinking too much alcohol (59%) and commenting on how much alcohol others have drunk (50%) are also serious mistakes at holiday parties. Additionally, expecting everyone to participate in the same drinking rounds (49%); refilling others’ drinks without asking (48%); commenting on others for drinking too little (45%); bringing alcoholic beverages to events without asking the host first (38%); and asking others why they switched to non-alcohol beverages (38%).

When it comes to deciding what to drink, many people think about more than just what’s in the glass. More than half (53%) believe that “moderation” will dominate their drinking behavior, that is, “control the amount of alcohol consumed and do not get drunk”, and its importance is higher than “taste” (46%) and “social interaction” (43%). When asked to highlight the most important thing, drinking alcohol in moderation again topped the list (40%), followed by taste (30%) and cost (12%).

Julian Braithwaite, chief executive of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, said moderate drinking and festive celebrations can co-exist. Encouragingly, among adults surveyed, they preferred drinking in moderation and strongly supported “making your own decisions about whether or not to drink and how much to drink.”

91% of respondents said it was very important “not to be influenced by others and decide for yourself whether to drink”; About 74% said it is acceptable to be the first person to stop drinking at a party; And 77% believed that when most guests are drinking, they feel comfortable not drinking. However, 40% still said they felt somewhat stressed when other people were drinking. The younger generation pays extra attention to the behavior of others at parties.

Still, more than half of Gen Z (55%) say they now feel more comfortable dropping a toast, compared to 42% of Baby Boomers. The results show that young people may face higher social expectations, but they are more confident in dealing with this pressure.