The percentage of Americans who reported alcohol use disorder was 8.9% in 2025, which may not seem all that great until you compare it to the past. That number is a decrease from 10.6% in 2021, which means nearly 4 million fewer people are suffering the ill effects of being unable to conquer alcohol addiction.
Alcohol use disorder is classified as a medical condition with warning signs such as drinking more than intended, developing tolerance so that more drinks are required for the same effect, or allowing drinking to interfere with regular responsibilities.
The data is from the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and it begs the question: Why are we doing better?
Experts say factors in the decline may include changing attitudes towards drinking, increased awareness of alcohol's health risks, and the wide availability of craft mocktails and other nonalcoholic alternatives to celebrate on nights out.
And for those with an issue who successfully battle it, experts say they find Improved sleep, better attention and focus, decreased anxiety, weight loss, and improved blood pressure regulation.
"There is a long-term decline, and usually when we speak about the youth, people say, 'You know kids these days and you know how terrible it is,'" Daniel Kruger, a research associate professor at University at Buffalo, State University of New York, told ABC News. "But this is actually one of the things that we're looking at and we're saying, 'Oh wow, this is interesting. They're actually using less alcohol, less tobacco, less cannabis than previous cohorts.'"
While alcohol use disorder remains a significant public health issue, a different health threat is peeking over the corner. Vaping cigarettes and marijuana.
- The data shows an increase in past-year marijuana use. Among people aged 12 or older in 2025, 56.0% (or 162.8 million people) used tobacco, vaped nicotine, used alcohol, or used an illicit drug in the past month (also defined as “current” use), including 44.4% (or 129.1 million people) who drank alcohol, 16.2% (or 46.9 million people) who used a tobacco product, 10.1% (or 29.3 million people) who vaped nicotine, and 16.4% (or 47.5 million people) who used an illicit drug.
- Among people aged 12 or older, the percentage who used marijuana in the past yearincreased from 19.0% (or 53.2 million people) in 2021 to 21.2% (or 61.6 millionpeople) in 2025.
- In 2025, 22.1% of people aged 12 or older (or 64.2 million people) used nicotine products in the past month. The percentage was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (27.9% or 10.1 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (22.9% or 52.4 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (6.9% or 1.8 million people).
- The percentage of people aged 12 or older who vaped nicotine in the past month increased from 8.3% (or 23.5 million people) in 2022 to 10.1% (or 29.3 million people) in 2025. Among adults aged 26 or older, the percentage who vaped nicotine in the past month also increased from 2022 to 2025. The percentage decreased from 2022 to 2025 among young adults aged 18 to 25. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, the percentage who vaped nicotine in the past month showed no change from 2022 to
The report also highlights a treatment gap for substance use disorders. When people realize they have a problem, they're not always getting help for it, especially if they're over the age of 25.
- Among the 129.1 million people aged 12 or older in 2025 who drank alcohol in the past month, 56.8 million people (or 44.0%) said they had engaged in binge drinking in that period.
- Among people in different age groups in 2025 who needed substance use treatment in the past year, young adults aged 18 to 25 (9.6% or 845,000 people) were least likely to have received substance use treatment in the past year, followed by adults aged 26 or older (17.1% or 6.2 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (22.8% or 470,000 people).
