Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll may have defined addiction for past generations but for today’s youth, addiction is more complex than this triumvirate of previous times. It’s as likely to be digital and drug orientated. But it’s also increasingly normalised – whether through vaping, micro-dosing or addictive behaviours masked as lifestyle choices and readily shared on social media.

Nicotine is a perennial. Single sale Silk Cut are no longer offered in corner shops across the land, cigarette advertising has been consigned to the past, but nicotine addiction is still going strong. A 2025 report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that roughly 100 million people worldwide use e-cigarettes, including around 15 million children. It might be strawberry ice flavoured, encased in pocket-sized plastic and free from the break of a rollie, but it’s still a nicotine fix.

And it doesn’t stop with the take up of vapes. Smoking rates in England have increased for the first time since 2006 – a reminder that behaviour change isn’t necessarily linear and fashions come and go as much in addictions as anything else.

Today’s adolescents often mix and match their nicotine consumption. During the day they’ll skip expensive cigarettes in favour of cheaper, sweet tasting and smelling vapes. It’s one of the reasons vapers have overtaken smokers for the first time in Britain. But then, when out for the night, as part of the special treat nature of the evening, they may well still light up a traditional cigarette. Social smoking is alive and kicking and a smorgasbord of nicotine consumption is common.

But what’s especially troubling isn’t just the hardware, it’s the framing. Big tobacco, with the help of a keen band of influencers and marketing agencies using all the shareability of social media, is aggressively trying to normalise and glamorise smoking again. For example, we’ve recently seen models strutting down runways waving cigarettes in hand while Lady Gaga was holding one (not smoking it) during her promo shot for Die With Smile. The message is subtle but powerful: smoking is sexy, defiant and stylish. It’s cool again and it’s firmly marketed towards kids and teens.

The added risk to youth today is not just the nicotine hit, but the lifestyle packaging that makes addiction feel like identity rather than a health hazard.

Matcha or martini

Youth culture has always been attracted to rebellion. But what that rebellion looks like depends on what has come before to rebel against. Previous generations’ binge-drinking and hard partying may well be impacting today’s young people’s choices.

The younger generation, particularly Gen Z, is known for being more health conscious. They eagerly jump on wellness movements, whether protein-based batch cooking or plant-based recipes; they may opt for pilates over the pub; and holistic wholesomeness seems to win the day, at least according to TikTok videos and Insta reels.

And with the rise of no/low alcohol alternatives, they have more options than ever before to be part of the party but with a lower %ABV. Increased access to a wealth of information means better understanding of the health risks associated with excessive drinking.

But even here, the picture is far from straightforward. For all the headlines about younger generations’ abstemious habits, there are as many about the problematic culture of binge drinking and this nation’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Again, a diet of consumption habits is emerging. Whether lighter consumption, bursts of temporary abstinence or single-category choices on different occasions, no one method of control is adopted across the board and people may use all of these at different times. Alcohol brands need new strategies and approaches for matching market needs.

Addiction, but not as we know it

Ultimately, addiction today isn’t just nicotine, alcohol or taking your pick of hard drugs. It’s often more subtle, more insidious, and masquerading as something else entirely. Any of these sound familiar?

• Late-night doom-scrolling spirals and the dopamine spike that follows
• Binge drinking disguised as craft cocktails and legitimised as lifestyle content
• Cosmetic procedures framed as self-care

A turning point in 2026

For brands, this shift matters because attention in 2026 and beyond will be shaped by a growing cultural awareness of addiction. Not just to substances, but to screens, videos, convenience and constant simulation. People are becoming more conscious of what they consume (in every sense of the word) and how it affects their wellbeing, which means brands must take a hard look at the behaviours they reinforce.

The most successful brands will be those that recognise people are looking for healthier patterns, not deeper dependence.