US Drinking Falls 1% Since 2022 as Heavy Use Among Ages 50-64 Climbs 30%
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Sep 21
US Drinking Falls 1% Since 2022 as Heavy Use Among Ages 50-64 Climbs 30%
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Sep 21
Summary
A study of CDC survey data found Americans' alcohol use slipped about 1% from 2022 to 2024, the first post-pandemic decline, though drinking still remained above 2018 levels.
Adults ages 50 to 64 drove the main warning sign: heavy drinking in that group rose about 2% from 2022 and more than one-third since 2018—roughly 1 million additional heavy drinkers.
Gen Z posted the biggest overall drop in drinking at more than 5%, while millennials had the largest decline in heavy drinking at 17%; both groups still drank slightly more than in 2018.
Men reported a larger overall decline than women from 2022 to 2024—2.4% versus 1.1%—but heavy drinking fell faster among women, down 9% compared with 7.7% for men.
Researchers tied the shift to a retreat from a pandemic-era surge, when heavy drinking jumped 20% in 2020, but warned older adults face higher risks as alcohol-related liver disease leads US transplants.