A Folha de S.Paulo column highlights a generational paradox: while 14-17-year-olds drink more, young adults choose alcohol-free experiences. Unifesp research shows 56% of Brazilians tried alcohol before 18. This reflects a cultural shift driven by health information.
In her column published on October 27, 2025, multiemployer Natalia Beauty, founder of Natalia Beauty Group, discusses the new generation's attitudes toward alcohol in Brazil. She points to a paradox based on Unifesp research data: 56% of Brazilians tried alcohol before age 18, with 21.6% of girls aged 14-17 reporting regular consumption, exceeding the 16.7% for boys. Moreover, 75% of these adolescents face no difficulties buying drinks, due to enforcement failures.
However, everyday observations and studies like 'Copo Meio Cheio' by Go Magenta indicate the opposite among young adults. They drink less, redefining toasting in favor of balanced, well-being-connected experiences. The wellness market, moving over 5 trillion dollars globally and already surpassing the alcoholic beverages sector, signals this deep transformation.
Beauty attributes this awareness to a generation raised with unrestricted access to information on alcohol's effects on the developing brain, dependency, and social costs. She questions why adolescents still drink more, possibly seeking belonging and approval in groups viewing alcohol as a symbol of integration and boldness. The text reflects on a country divided between tradition and personal revolution, suggesting alcohol has always mirrored society and that future generations may learn lessons more consciously, without adolescent 'chaos'.
'Are young people really drinking more or learning to toast differently?', the columnist asks, inviting readers to ponder a 'lucid' rather than 'liquid' future.