Why Is No One Drinking Milk?

For what seems like forever, health experts have debated whether the childhood drink we grew up on, milk, is even that good for you. But it seems that the growing popularity of sugary drinks, sports drinks, and even non-dairy milk alternatives is making a big dent in the dairy industry — one that the industry may never recover from. 

The Wall Street Journal highlights the huge decline in milk consumption; since 1975, consumption has dropped 30 percent. Americans drank an average of only 20.2 gallons of milk last year. It's becoming a crisis for those in the dairy industry. There are several factors the WSJ points to for the decline: calorie-conscious consumers, the popularity of sugary drinks, and the decreasing population of children (the heaviest milk drinkers). And it probably doesn't help that the price of milk is expected to double as early as this coming January (another sign of the apocalypse?) 

In response, the dairy industry is trying to shake things up with more alternatives: organic milk (which only makes up 4 percent of all retail sales), alternative milks like soy and almond, and even "muscle" protein milks. Even the long-forgotten "Got Milk?" ad campaign has been revived with interactive games and facts on alternative milks. What say you: will you be "getting milk" once again?