Why many Americans are rethinking alcohol, according to a new Gallup poll
A record high percentage of U.S. adults, 53%, now say moderate drinking is bad for their health, up from 28% in 2015. The uptick in doubt about alcohol's benefits is largely driven by young adults — the age group that is most likely to believe drinking 'one or two drinks a day' can cause health hazards — but older adults are also now increasingly likely to think moderate drinking carries risks.
As concerns about health impacts rise, fewer Americans are reporting that they drink. The survey finds that 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer. That's lower than at any other point in the past three decades.
The findings of the poll, which was conducted in July, indicate that after years of many believing that moderate drinking was harmless — or even beneficial — worries about alcohol consumption are taking hold. According to Gallup's data, even those who consume alcohol are drinking less.
The federal government is updating new dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up. But other government surveys have shown a decline in certain types of drinking, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
This comes alongside a new drumbeat of information about alcohol's risks. While moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for heart health, health professionals in recent years have pointed to overwhelming evidence that alcohol consumption leads to negative health outcomes and is a leading cause of cancer.
Growing skepticism about alcohol's benefits
Younger adults have been quicker than older Americans to accept that drinking is harmful, but older adults are coming around to the same view.
About two-thirds of 18- to 34-year-olds believe moderate drinking is unhealthy, according to the poll, up from about 4 in 10 in 2015. Older adults are less likely to see alcohol as harmful — about half of Americans age 55 or older believe this — but that's a substantial increase, too. In 2015, only about 2 in 10 adults age 55 or older thought alcohol was bad for their health.
In the past, moderate drinking was thought to have some benefits. That idea came from imperfect studies that largely didn't include younger people and couldn't prove cause and effect. Now the scientific consensus has shifted, and several countries recently lowered their alcohol consumption recommendations. Earlier this year, the outgoing U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, recommended a label on bottles of beer, wine and liquor that would clearly outline the link between alcohol consumption and cancer.
The federal government's current dietary guidelines recommend Americans not drink or, if they do consume alcohol, men should limit themselves to two drinks a day or fewer while women should stick to one or fewer.
Gallup's director of U.S. social research, Lydia Saad, said shifting health advice throughout older Americans' lives may be a reason they have been more gradual than young adults to recognize alcohol as harmful.
'Older folks may be a little more hardened in terms of the whiplash that they get with recommendations,' Saad said. 'It may take them a little longer to absorb or accept the information. Whereas, for young folks, this is the environment that they've grown up in … in many cases, it would be the first thing young adults would have heard as they were coming into adulthood.'
The government is expected to release new guidelines later this year, under the directive of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promised big changes. Kennedy has not hinted at how the alcohol recommendations may shift.
Drinking rates fall to decade low
Slightly more than half of Americans, 54%, report that they drink alcohol — a low in Gallup's data that is especially pronounced among women and young adults.
Young Americans' alcohol consumption has been trending downward for years, accelerating the overall decline in alcohol consumption. In sharp contrast with Gallup's findings two decades ago, when young adults were likeliest to report drinking, young adults' drinking rate is now slightly below middle-aged and older adults.
Americans' reported drinking is among the lowest since the question was first asked in 1939. For most of the last few decades, at least 6 in 10 Americans have reported drinking alcoholic beverages, only dipping below that point a few times in the question's history.
Americans who drink alcohol are consuming less
Even if concerns about health risks aren't causing some adults to give up alcohol entirely, these worries could be influencing how often they drink.
Monday Mornings
The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week.
The survey found that adults who think moderate drinking is bad for one's health are just as likely as people who don't share those concerns to report that they drink, but fewer of the people with health worries had consumed alcohol recently.
About half of those who worry moderate drinking is unhealthy said they had a drink in the previous week, compared with about 7 in 10 who did not think drinking was bad for their health.
Overall, only about one-quarter of Americans who drink said they had consumed alcohol in the prior 24 hours, a record low in the survey. Roughly 4 in 10 said that it had been more than a week since they had poured a drink.
___
Associated Press writer Amanda Seitz contributed to this report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Alberta government to cover COVID-19 shots for health-care workers in policy reversal
A union representing 30,000 health-care workers in Alberta is calling on Premier Danielle Smith's government to reverse course and provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all front-line workers and any other Albertan who wants the shot. Postmedia file photo EDMONTON — In a partial policy reversal, Alberta's government said Tuesday it will cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Maddison McKee, spokesperson to Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange, said in an email that COVID-19 vaccine coverage will be extended to all health-care workers this fall under the first phase of the province's vaccination rollout. 'Immunization will remain voluntary,' said McKee. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again It comes two months after the government said most Albertans, including health workers, would have to pay for COVID-19 shots this season. Public health experts and health-care unions called it irresponsible to force front-line workers to pay for protection in the workplace. Premier Danielle Smith has said the aim of the new policy is to prevent wastage, after some $135 million was spent on unused doses. She's also pointed out that other vaccinations come with an out-of-pocket fee. The government did not immediately respond to questions about what prompted the shift. The Health Sciences Association of Alberta is one of several unions representing health-care workers that have been publicly pressing the government for months. President Mike Parker said his members demanded the change at the bargaining table, but the government decided to make it a blanket policy instead. The union reached a new tentative agreement last week with employers on wages and benefits, but it is yet to be ratified. 'This is both in the interest of our members and the public to make sure that these folks stay healthy and on the job,' Parker said. 'I'm pleased to see that it's now going to be inclusive of all health-care workers from the work that we did.' Parker said the government's next step should be allowing everyone to get vaccinated, if they want, free of charge. The government hasn't finalized how much other Albertans will need to pay, but an estimated cost to buy each shot is $110. The province said in June those who have compromised immune systems, people on social programs and seniors in congregate settings will be covered. Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called on the United Conservative Party government to give the shot to all seniors at no cost.
Toronto Star
4 hours ago
- Toronto Star
How to protect yourself from Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria found in some coastal waters
This combination of photos provided by Karrianne Stewart shows the leg of her husband, Bernie Stewart, in Pensacola, Fla., with a blister at the start of an August 2019 Vibrio infection, and years after decaying tissue was surgically removed. (Karrianne Stewart via AP) flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
How to protect yourself from Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria found in some coastal waters
NEW YORK (AP) — States are warning beachgoers about a summertime surge in infections from a frightening, flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters. Vibrio vulnificus are becoming an annual threat along the Gulf Coast and — increasingly — up the Eastern Seaboard. People should listen to the warnings, said Bernie Stewart, a 65-year-old retired bounty hunter in Florida who counts himself lucky to have survived an infection. In August 2019, Stewart's right leg was infected while he was kayak fishing in Pensacola Bay. What at first appeared to be a sun blister led to three months in the hospital, where doctors performed 10 surgeries to remove decaying skin and prevent the bacteria from killing him. 'This ain't nothing to play with,' Stewart said. Vibrio bacteria thrive in seawater and in the mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons. Most infections are reported from May to October, and most happen in states along the Gulf Coast. The Gulf's water is 'the perfect convergence of the right amount of salt and the right amount of heat to let this organism proliferate,' said Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious diseases specialist at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. At least a dozen kinds of Vibrio can cause human illnesses The nastiest type is Vibrio vulnificus. It accounts for around 200 of the more than 1,000 Vibrio illnesses each year, according to CDC data. As many as 1 in 5 of those infections are fatal — a much higher rate than other types of Vibrio bacteria. Some people become infected by eating eat raw or undercooked shellfish — particularly oysters. But a large percentage fall ill when the person is in ocean or brackish water and the bacteria enter the body through small breaks in the skin. The antibiotics used to treat food poisoning cases don't work as well when the germ enters through breaks in the skin, Lopez said. 'They may require multiple surgeries to remove dead or infected tissue, and sometimes require amputation,' he said. Doctors say severe cases are seen more often in elderly patients, people with weakened immune systems, and those with liver disease, diabetes and certain chronic illnesses. Cases are up in some places, but not all Louisiana has seen an alarming jump in cases this summer, but other states are not. More cases are expected, as this is peak season for Vibrio vulnificus infections. 'It is really easy to sound unnecessary alarms because cases have increased, or feel too complacent because cases are low,' when data is incomplete, said Salvador Almagro-Moreno, a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital who has studied the germ. Infections have been reported as far north as New England — Massachusetts recently issued an alert after someone reportedly was infected on Cape Cod. Scientists say climate change is helping the germs proliferate and spread northward. A 2023 study found that the northernmost case has been shifting by about 30 miles each year, and that cases overall have been rising. As of late last week, 20 cases of Vibrio vulnificus had been reported among Louisiana residents this year. All were hospitalized and four died, the state's health department said. That's more than twice the average number of cases for this point in the season, and four times the death toll, state officials said. Cases are not unusually higher in other Gulf States, however. Florida, which tends to have more infections than other states, has reported 17 Vibrio vulnificus cases and five deaths this year, compared with 82 cases and 19 deaths at the same point last year. State officials say they typically see more cases in years when Florida is hit by tropical storms, and hurricane season is only just beginning, Lopez noted. How to prevent infections Vibrio vulnificus can enter the body through unhealed cuts and scrapes, recent piercings and tattoos, and recent surgical incisions. If you have such a wound, try to stay out of saltwater or brackish water, and cover it with a waterproof bandage if there's a chance of exposure. If you do come in contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, immediately wash cuts and scrapes thoroughly with soap and clean running water, the CDC advises. And see a doctor if you start to develop symptoms such as fever, chills, and hot red areas on the skin that start to turn dark and blister. You can also become infected by eating seafood. Health officials say not to eat raw or undercooked oysters or other seafood, and do not let raw seafood, its drippings, or its juices contaminate other foods. Oysters are a particular risk, and there is no way to tell if an oyster is contaminated just by looking at it. Wash hands with soap and water after handing raw shellfish, and wear protective gloves if you have a weakened immune system and are at a higher risk of infection. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Health officials also offer cooking instructions for clams, mussels and other shellfish. They recommend throwing away any with open shells before cooking. In Pensacola, Stewart said he's advocated — unsuccessfully — for local officials to post signs about the dangers of going into the bay. 'Not everyone's immune system is going to be strong,' he said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
