Drinking Alcohol is the New Smoking. We Just Don’t Want to Admit It.
In ten years’ time, alcohol will be where smoking is now. Outdated, socially awkward, and mostly phased out of our culture, in particular our high-performance culture and executive life.
But have senior leaders caught up? I would suggest not.
We’re still surrounded by a drinking culture that’s been normalised for decades. Networking over drinks, unwinding with a glass at the end of a long day or week, celebrating wins with something fizzy in hand, as if all of it is just part of the rhythm of leadership. I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve been the one handing out the wine and more often than not, the one who’s been consuming it! And I’ll be frank, I still have a drink today – but today I do it consciously and am very aware of what it’s doing to me. I make a very conscious choice.
But let’s be honest, alcohol is doing real damage. To our energy, to our decision-making, to our sleep, our focus, our consistency, and our resilience. We feel it the next day, even when we pretend we don’t and, deep down, most of us know it’s compromising our edge.
I recently had lunch with a brilliant external resourcing partner I’ve worked with over the years to recruit into exec roles - the awesome Linda Bridge. Linda asked what I’d like to drink. A few years ago, I’d have smiled and said, “Shall we get a bottle?” (to share, of course!...maybe). But things change. We laughed about how our go-to rosé, especially a chilled Whispering Angel on a summer’s day, has been swapped out for a Diet Coke. Not just because of the empty calories, but because we’ve both started to feel the cost of a couple of glasses. Sluggish sleep, foggy heads, that hollow, anxious feeling the next day that’s hard to shake, no matter how “moderate” the night before was.
I showed Linda my WHOOP data from the Isle of Wight Festival I’ve recently been to, where I did have a few drinks. The plummeting HRV (heart rate variability), the spike in resting heart rate. It's undeniable. Alcohol doesn’t just make us feel off, it absolutely screws our recovery, messes with our sleep cycles, suppresses REM (the bit of sleep that does all the behind-the-scenes repair work on your brain), dehydrates us and disrupts neurotransmitters linked to mood and motivation. The data doesn’t lie and the body very much holds the count.
It’s not about judgment - it’s about awareness. And once you see the impact, it’s hard to unsee it.
Meanwhile, the younger generation is already making different choices. Gen Z are drinking less, not because they have to, but because they see through it. They’re choosing clarity, energy, recovery, and presence. They want to feel good more than they want to feel numbed. And while they quietly evolve, many of us are still reaching for something that’s actively pulling us backwards.
The brewers are waking up to this shift…slowly. You’ll now find 0.0% options creeping into pubs, a welcome move, but frankly, long overdue. Having just stepped away from that industry very recently, I’ve seen first-hand the behind-the-scenes efforts to save the local pub from fading into oblivion. But let’s be honest: this industry moves at a glacial pace. And I’m not convinced they’re moving fast enough to match the surging demand for low and no-alcohol options. Hence why many Gen Z’s aren’t bothering with the local anymore.
That said, there are some brilliant 0.0% choices out there. My personal favourite? Heineken 0.0 on draught, ice cold. Honestly, you'd struggle to tell it apart from the real thing. I've also heard from my rugby mates that Guinness 0.0 is fantastic (not my thing even slightly - I know...I'm about to get lynched by my fellow egg-shaped ball followers!) But for every great one, there’s still something out there that tastes like cat p!ss. And don’t even get me started on non-alcoholic wine! It’s basically glorified grape juice. There’s still a long way to go if the drinks industry wants to stay relevant in a culture that’s rethinking its relationship with alcohol.
Because here's the truth: if they don’t, we’ll see more and more of our local pubs wither into empty spaces - cultural deserts. And that would be a tragedy. We need social spaces. We need a connection with other humans. A real connection, not the sort on WhatsApp - a physical connection with our friends, in settings like the local pub. Pubs have long been a cornerstone of community, and they can be again, if the industry wakes up and shifts itself.
But let’s not dance around the real issue - alcohol is still the most socially accepted performance killer in leadership today. It dulls the very things we rely on: focus, emotional control, sharp thinking, and good sleep. Worst of all, we’ve just learned to live with the fallout!
I went sober for nine months a couple of years ago, along with my amazing EA, Grace Carter. Not because we had to, but because we wanted to feel the difference, and we did. I was clearer, more consistent and more grounded. Grace, on the other hand, has completely transformed, and I’m so proud of her for sticking with it – 2 plus years sober, approaching her wedding later this year, looking and feeling in the best shape of her life! So incredibly proud of what she’s achieved.
I still drink occasionally now, but I do it very consciously. I know exactly what it does to my body, to my mind and to my ability to show up at my best. So, when I say yes, I know what I’m saying no to.
That awareness changes everything.
So, here’s the question I keep coming back to, and maybe it’s time more leaders asked it too: If alcohol were invented today, would you still choose to drink it? Or would you see it for what it really is - a drain on your energy, your clarity and your leadership?
