A notable shift is underway in American drinking habits, driven by escalating apprehensions regarding the health implications of alcohol consumption, according to Euronews.
Recent findings from a Gallup poll indicate that fewer adults in the United States now consume alcoholic beverages compared to previous decades. Just 54% of US adults currently report drinking alcohol, marking the lowest level recorded in thirty years.
This decline coincides with a significant transformation in public perception. A record 53% of American adults now believe that moderate drinking is detrimental to health, a substantial increase from the 28% who held this view back in 2015.
The poll, conducted during July, suggests that after years where moderate drinking was often perceived as harmless or even beneficial, concerns about its risks are becoming firmly established.
The surge in doubt concerning alcohol’s benefits appears significantly influenced by younger adults. This demographic exhibits the highest likelihood to view consuming “one or two drinks a day” as a health hazard. However, the trend is not confined to the young. Older adults are also increasingly recognising the potential risks associated with moderate drinking.
Accompanying this rise in health concerns is a tangible reduction in consumption. Gallup’s data reveals that even individuals who do consume alcohol are now drinking less. While pre-pandemic US government figures suggested an upward trajectory in alcohol consumption, other official surveys have documented decreases, particularly noticeable among teenagers and young adults.
This pattern is not unique to the US, as nations across Europe, including Belgium, have similarly reported declining alcohol intake in recent years.
Evolving science reshapes understanding
This behavioural shift unfolds against a backdrop of persistent messaging highlighting alcohol’s dangers. The scientific consensus has moved decisively away from the once-prevalent notion that moderate drinking offered heart health benefits. Health professionals now consistently point to compelling evidence linking alcohol consumption to negative health outcomes, identifying it as a major contributor to cancer risk.
The previous belief in potential benefits stemmed largely from imperfect studies, often excluding younger participants and unable to definitively prove cause and effect. This evolving understanding has prompted several nations to revise their alcohol consumption guidelines downwards.
Current US dietary guidelines advise Americans not to drink, or if they do, men should restrict themselves to two drinks daily or fewer, while women should limit intake to one drink or fewer.
Lydia Saad, Gallup’s director of US social research, suggested that the fluctuating nature of health advice over decades might explain why older Americans have been slower than their younger counterparts to fully embrace the view of alcohol as harmful.
“Older folks may be a little more hardened in terms of the whiplash that they get with recommendations. 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,” Saad stated.
