Dry January doesn't have to mean sober January — at least for the 21 percent of participants turning to cannabis or CBD to make it through the month.
According to a survey by Civic Science, 67 percent of Dry January participants, or those choosing to abstain from alcohol consumption for the month of January, reported they are replacing alcohol with something — whether that be mocktails and alcohol-free beers or sodas and seltzers.
The largest share, 21 percent, said they would enjoy cannabis or non-psychoactive CBD in place of alcohol. The preference for substitutes wasn't uniform across all respondents. Cannabis was the most popular substitute among the youngest respondents with 34 percent of 21- to 24-year-olds preferring it. Among the 55 and older crowd, by contrast, just 9 percent reported they'd enjoy cannabis or CBD instead of alcohol, and 54 percent reported they'd stay the course without any support.
Dry January's Growing Popularity
Interest in Dry January has climbed over the recent years. At the close of 2022, about 41 percent of respondents in a separate survey by Civic Science reported they were "somewhat to very likely" to participate in Dry January come 2023. That's in-line with pre-pandemic data for the start of 2020, but slightly behind 2022 responses, which rebounded after a lag in interest during the 2021 pandemic year.
As with the preference for cannabis, interest in Dry January tends to vary by age — and younger generations are leading the charge. For the year of 2023, more than half of the youngest respondents, aged 21 to 24 years old, said they were "somewhat to very likely" to participate versus just 41 percent of those 55 and older.
Studies suggest social media is contributing to a growing reluctance to drink with younger generations fearful of consequences if their drunk escapades are documented on the internet. According to 2019 research from Google, 49 percent of Generation Z reports their image online is "always at the back of their mind when they go out socializing and drinking." Some 76 percent reported it is important to have control of "all aspects of their life at all times," according to the research.
Andrew Chanin, CEO of investment management firm ProcureAM, joined Cheddar to break down the many industries in the space economy and discuss what trends are driving the most growth. "Right now there's been so much media focus on space tourism. Why? Because last year it really debuted itself to the world," he said. "However it's less than 1 percent of the overall space economy, and there are many other parts of space which are actually driving this area."
Plastic has become the face of global pollution. To date, humans have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of it. Once discarded, plastic doesn’t biodegrade. Instead, it fragments into microplastics smaller than the size of a sesame seed and further into nanoplastics.
These tiny particles of plastic end up everywhere, deep in the ice of Antarctic glaciers or even inside our bodies.
So how much plastic is inside of us? And what does it mean for our health? Let’s find out.
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The U.S. market value of the plant-based food industry reached an all-time high last year. According to a new report from the Plant Based Food Association, retail sales of plant-based foods reached $7.4 billion, but questions are arising over whether the industry can sustain the levels of growth it had in the past few years. Julie Emmett, senior director of marketplace development at the Plant Based Food Association, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Bowery Farming's vertical growing process allows it to cultivate 13 types of greens — and now, strawberries — in a sustainable way that's also faster than traditional farming. Bowery focuses on sustainability from start to finish, using unique technology to provide plants with what they need at the right time while eliminating waste and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions. Katie Seawell, Chief Commercial Officer of Bowery Farming, joins Closing Bell to discuss the company's vertical farming process, sustainability focus, fixing the food supply chain, and more.
Nexii, a company based in Canada, is getting some big backing for its sustainable, low-carbon concrete alternative. CEO Stephen Sidwell, joined Cheddar News to talk about the initiatives his company is taking to tackle climate change and scaling up production to meet demand. "Most people don’t realize it, but buildings are the number one contributor to CO2 emissions," he said. "So that's really what we're attacking, the overall CO2 emissions."
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the removal of the mask mandate in school and day-care centers for children under 5. If COVID-19 cases remain low, this change will take place on April 4th. Syra Madad, an infectious disease epidemiologist, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
