For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption in the U.S. is trending downward. A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found overall alcohol use among American adults dropped nearly two percent between 2022 and 2024, while heavy drinking fell by more than eight percent.
But there’s one group heading in the opposite direction. Researchers found adults ages 50 to 64 increased their heavy drinking by more than 36% between 2018 and 2024.
Meanwhile, Gen Z showed the biggest decline in overall drinking, while Millennials saw the sharpest drop in heavy alcohol consumption.
