Americans are drinking less alcohol overall, but new data shows that decline isn't being seen across every group.
A new Gallup survey finds just 54 percent of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, the lowest percentage recorded since Gallup began asking about alcohol consumption in 1939. The percentage has fallen steadily in recent years, from 62 percent in 2023 to 58 percent in 2024 and now 54 percent.
But fewer people drinking doesn't necessarily mean the nation's alcohol misuse problem is shrinking.
Nicholas Gilpin, professor of physiology and director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, says national data shows alcohol misuse has been increasing among some populations.
"Misuse of alcohol has been rising in specific populations," Gilpin said.
Those increases are particularly notable among women and adults 65 and older.
Gilpin says researchers don't have a definitive explanation for the trend, although the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could be part of the reason.
He also points to what's known as the "telescoping effect"; a phenomenon in which women who progress from initial substance use to problematic or excessive use can do so more quickly than men.
The trend among older Americans is also noteworthy. Gallup's longer-term data has found that while younger adults have become less likely to drink, drinking has increased among adults 55 and older.
Gilpin says another important factor is growing awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol.
"Alcohol use in excessive quantities is a cancer risk factor," Gilpin said.
He says that is a message many people may not have fully appreciated five or ten years ago.
So while the overall percentage of Americans who drink is at a historic low, experts say the numbers should not be interpreted as an indication that alcohol-related health problems are disappearing.
Instead, the data points to a changing drinking landscape with fewer Americans drinking overall, while some groups, particularly women and older adults, are experiencing increases in problematic alcohol use.
