US Adult Drinking Falls 2% in 2022-2024 as Heavy Use Drops More Than 8%
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 21
US Adult Drinking Falls 2% in 2022-2024 as Heavy Use Drops More Than 8%
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 21
Summary
More than 114,000 National Health Interview Survey responses showed U.S. adult alcohol use finally turned down after the pandemic, with any past-year drinking down nearly 2% and heavy drinking down over 8% from 2022 to 2024.
Gen Z adults ages 18-29 posted the biggest drop in any drinking—more than 5%—while millennials ages 30-49 cut heavy drinking by 17%, a shift researchers linked to sober-curious habits, health awareness and possible cannabis substitution.
Rates still remain above 2018 levels overall, and adults ages 50-64 moved the other way: any drinking rose 4% and heavy drinking jumped more than 36% from 2018 to 2024.
Doctors said that older cohort faces the greatest danger because alcohol-related cirrhosis is often diagnosed in people in their 50s, underscoring the need for clearer drinking-risk messaging, behavioral support and liver screening.