US drinking hits record low as health worries reshape habits

Alcohol consumption in the US has hit historic lows as health concerns climb to unprecedented levels. According to Gallup's latest data, just 54% of US adults now identify as drinkers — the lowest percentage since Gallup began tracking the stat over eight decades ago.

🥤 This downward trajectory coincides with mounting health concerns, as 53% of Americans now believe that moderate drinking (one or two drinks a day) is harmful, which is a dramatic increase from just 28% in 2018

🧋 There's a significant generational divide in believing drinking is bad for one's health: 66% among those 18 to 34, vs. 50% for the 35-54 cohort, and 48% for those 55 and older

🧉 The number of drinks is down, too. Among those who drink, less than a quarter reported having had a drink in the previous 24 hours, which is a record low. The average number of drinks consumed in the past week is 2.8, which is the lowest Gallup has recorded since 1996