US Drinking Falls 2% Since 2022 as Heavy Use Jumps 36% for Ages 50-64
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 23
US Drinking Falls 2% Since 2022 as Heavy Use Jumps 36% for Ages 50-64
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 23
Summary
A study of more than 114,000 U.S. adults found alcohol use fell nearly 2% and heavy drinking dropped more than 8% from 2022 to 2024, the first decline since pandemic-era increases began.
Younger adults drove much of the pullback: Gen Z cut any drinking by about 5%, while millennials posted a 17% drop in heavy drinking, suggesting pandemic habits eased for many.
Adults ages 50-64 broke from that pattern. Their overall drinking was nearly 4% higher in 2024 than in 2018, and heavy drinking surged 36% over the same period.
Brian Lee, the study's lead author, said that rise is especially worrying because people in that age band face higher risks of cirrhosis, alcohol-related cancers and other organ damage.
The findings indicate U.S. drinking has retreated from pandemic peaks but not fully returned to pre-2020 levels, leaving older Americans as the main public-health concern.