US alcohol consumption at record low as health concerns rise, survey finds.

Alcohol consumption among adults in the U.S. is at the lowest level on record, a survey by analytics firm Gallup showed on Wednesday, as most Americans, for the first time, view even moderate drinking as harmful.

Gallup's latest Consumption Habits survey, conducted annually, showed that about 54% Americans reported drinking alcohol, compared with 58% in 2024 and 62% in 2023.

The figure falls below the previous record low of 55% in 1958 in the nearly nine decades of tracking by Gallup.

Alcohol sales have been falling since the pandemic drinking binge, as inflation and interest rates stretch consumer wallets. Spirit makers now also face growing warnings from public health authorities who say drinking even small amounts of alcohol is associated with at least seven types of cancer.

A majority of Americans — 53% — say moderate drinking is bad for health, Gallup found, up from 45% last year.

Fewer U.S. drinkers are consuming alcohol regularly, with a record-low 24% saying they had a drink in the previous day and 40% reporting more than a week since their last — the highest share since 2000, the survey found.

Source: www.reuters.com

Share: