On August 13, a Gallup poll shared that America’s alcohol consumption rate had dropped to a new record low of 54%. This marks the lowest percentage in 90 years, and from a partisan standpoint, it appears Republicans are leading the charge.
The website reported that before this statistic reached 54%, it hasn’t been under 60% more than 10 times. The first time was 58% during the inaugural poll in 1939, and another low took place in 1958. It appears the highest rates of drinking, from 68% to 71% were all tracked between 1974 and 1981.
As to why? It appears the decline started when research, such as the World Health Organization’s study that no amount of alcohol is safe, has shown that even moderate drinking can lead to negative health effects. Once studies continued making media headlines, it appeared that Americans adjusted their drinking habits accordingly. Popular movements like sober curiosity could also be leading the decline in alcohol use.
The Demographics Ditching Drinking: an Inside Look
As far as an in-depth look at demographics go, women appear to have dropped 11 points since 2023. Men too have dropped their levels of alcohol consumption, but by a more modest 5 points. White adults have dropped by 11 points, where as people of color have dropped by -2.
The steepest decline from an economic bracket demonstrated that individuals with a household income of less than $40,000 annually experienced a drop of 14 points, and Republicans, interestingly enough, have experienced a drop of 19 points since 2023. The outlet reported that Democrats and Independents were more likely than Republicans to view moderate drinking as unhealthy, however, presenting an interesting paradox.
Gallup additionally reported that a decline in alcohol consumption has not indicated that people are consuming other substances, like Marijuana, for example. Rather, it appears that sobriety may be the endgame.
Individuals additionally appear to be consuming way less alcohol if they do happen to have a drink. The average number of drinks imbibed in a week dropped to 2.8, which marked the lowest amount since 1996. As far as tipple of choice? Beer seems to be the frontrunner, followed by liquor and wine.
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