Inhale the present, exhale the past.

Now let your breath guide you back to the present moment where peace and mindfulness reside.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of Grateful Gazette 😌

Here’s what to know for Tuesday:

• Teens don’t drink alcohol like they used to

• Minnesota gives people the right to repair

• A rare Albino Panda is spotted

AND at the end we give you a new piece of content to try for Tuesday.

SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES IT EASIER TO GIVE UP POPULAR VICES

Teens today are sipping way less booze than their counterparts two decades ago.

Dr. Jude Ball did a bit of time traveling. She looked at how high schoolers felt about alcohol between 1999 and 2001 and compared it to teens in 2022.

The team quizzed 64 students aged between 14 and 17 in 2022, stacking up their insights against a similar group from the 90s.

Way back when, over half the students would be regulars at the party circuit by high school.

Fast forward to 2022, and it's a different world.

There’s not a lot of high schoolers that reported social drinking, with most having tasted nothing more than a couple of sips.

So, what's behind this Jekyll and Hyde shift?

Dr. Ball and her crew reckon the digital world has a hand in it. Turns out, the online landscape has turned into a social playground, rendering house parties and drinking shenanigans as relics of a bygone era.

Our teens of today have a lot more freedom to be their unique selves, with fewer unwritten rules pinning them down.

It's cool to be different, and the pressure to join the boozing bandwagon is way lower. With a heightened sense of diversity and respect for personal choices, it's a far cry from the booze-guzzling teen hierarchy of yesteryear.

That's not all though, our digital natives have a laser focus on their future ambitions.

They see partying and drinking as distractions from their goals, almost like unwanted pop-ups. Plus, they're a lot savvier about the risks that come with alcohol, such as addiction and health impacts.

But before we raise our (non-alcoholic) glasses to celebrate, there's a catch. It's a bit hazy whether this is a lifelong trend or just our teens delaying the booze rendezvous till their early adulthood years.

Recent stats suggest that binge drinking in early adulthood remains pretty high. So, the quest to curtail alcohol harm in young folks is far from over.

But hey, baby steps, right?

🗞 More Good News

🦬 A bison repopulation program in Alberta is helping these animals reclaim space

⚡️ New York sets a new personal record for energy generated by solar power

💊 A new Texas bill wants to put Narcan in public schools for emergencies

💨 Electricity from thin air? This team of scientists wants to make it possible

🌸 Britain accomplishes their first-ever de-extinction event as a York groundsel blooms

🪛 Minnesota passes a brand new right-to-repair law

☀️ The Bright Side

In the "No way, Jose!" news of the day, we've got an albino giant panda strutting its stuff in southwestern China. Yep, you heard it right, folks. A panda that's as rare as a unicorn on a skateboard.

This unique furball was caught on camera in the Wolong National Nature Reserve, casually saying 'hey' to a mama panda and her kiddo.

Albino pandas are born from a rare genetic quirk. By rare, we mean super rare.

So, why are pandas black and white? Some smarty-pants think it's nature's way of playing dress-up. White for snow days, and black for those shady bamboo forest vibes. Makes sense, right?

But let's be honest, it doesn't matter if you're black, white, or albino. If you're a panda, you're automatically adorable. 

They've got the cute monopoly cornered. And this albino fella? He's just upped the ante.

Your move, other pandas.

🧘 TRY THIS FOR YOUR TUESDAY

I know, I know, the thought of a book about parking sounds like a snore. BUT this one is worth a try if you enjoy deep, insightful stories about everyday things we take for granted.

If you’re a fan of Michael Lewis or Malcom Gladwell, then check this book out. I promise you’ll never look at parking the same way again.

Turn that mundane even into a piece of fun trivia for your friends. Plus, the cover art of this book is bound to turn some heads.

Check it out here.

- Thank you for reading Grateful Gazette. Remember to breathe deeply to bring your mind back to your body 💜