Gallup recently reported that only 54% of U.S. adults now drink, the lowest in its 90-year trend, as more Americans (53%) view even moderate alcohol use as harmful. Declines are sharpest among women, young adults, Whites & Republicans. This shift mirrors the reappraisal of alcohol’s risks, like how tobacco perceptions changed after the Surgeon General’s warnings of the 1960s.
Key Points
- Only 54% of U.S. adults now report drinking alcohol, the lowest in Gallup’s 90-year history.
- 53% of Americans (including 66% aged 18 to 34) now believe moderate drinking is bad for health (first time majority view), up from about 25% two decades ago.
- Those who view moderate drinking as unhealthy drink less often & in smaller quantities.
- Fewer people drink as frequently (record low 24% drank in the past 24 hours & 40% within a week) and average drinks per week dropped to 2.8 (lowest since 1996), from 3.8 last year & 4.0 in prior years.
- Declines in alcohol use are not tied to an increase in marijuana usage, which has held stable in recent years.
Alcohol Consumption Trends by Gender & Demographics
- Declines are sharper among women (down -11 pts to 51%) than men (down -5 pts to 57%).
- White adults are down -11 pts total to 51% while people of color are steady around 50%.
- Young adults’ drinking rate fell to 50%, below middle-aged & older groups.
- Republican drop was the steepest (down -19 pts to 46%), while Democrats stayed steady at about 61%.
- Men prefer beer (52%), women prefer wine (44%) & liquor is roughly equal across genders.
- Young & middle-aged adults prefer beer more than older adults (wine preference is lowest among young adults).
Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx
