Only 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, a record low. A new poll shows what's behind the decline.

Wording is very careful to not offend the alcohol industry.

“Growing skepticism of alcohol’s benefits”

Why not “Growing awareness of alcohol’s harms”?

Health concerns are legit, but have they seen the prices? A 6 pack of Bud Light is regularly 9 bucks. FOR BUD LIGHT. Forget about premium brands, those are 12 and up. Hell, small batch locals are up to 15+. Liquor hasn't shot up quite as much, but it has climbed.

Don't even get me started on how much bars/restaurants charge.

Weed is cheaper.

I'm gonna be honest. I need to do a lot more reading because I'm just more confused about alcohol consumption now.

I'd really like to better understand the direct health effects, like cancer mentioned in this article with low or moderate consumption.

"There is no safe level of alcohol consumption" isn't the most helpful piece of information. A lot of things we consume aren't completely safe. Whether it be carcinogens, red meat, or microplastics, we are always ingesting things that have both negative and positive effects.

Life is about managing risks. Eating fatty or high caloric foods, affects us a whole lot differently than eating whole foods, vegetables, and low carbs. Alcohol is just another item on the list of risks to manage.

How does low to moderate alcohol consumption compare to the risks associated with all the other sources of consumption?

🤔

One of the many things I've cut down on because of unemployment. I used to socialize in bars more often.

I honestly can't help but thinking that the different media diet nowadays is also a driver of reduced alcohol consumption. If you watch traditional TV and movies, alcohol and drinking are absolutely everywhere and invariably normalized as part of everyday life. Kid has problem in school? Mom drinks a glass of wine. Getting promoted at work, everyone a round of scotch. Vacation doesn't count if there are no umbrella drinks.

You barely see any alcohol at all on TikTok, and I assume it's either forbidden or demonetized on all major platforms. Out of sight, I guess, out of mind.

Beers cost $15 per pint!

Alcohol doesn't give me any fun benefits. Like, it doesn't remove my inihibitions and doesn't feel good. It just makes me feel nauseus and numb and it doesn't even taste good.

I recently saw a very good YouTube video on that topic and how the original studies often failed to account for variables.

Slight tangent, but it's weird how 2 drinks per day is a low limit. If you drink even 1 drink per day regularly that's probably an addiction imo

Earlier this year, the outgoing U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, recommended a label on bottles of beer, wine and liquor that would clearly outline the link between alcohol consumption and cancer.

"Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States — greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. — yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk," Murthy said in a statement in January.

The federal government's current dietary guidelines recommend Americans not drink or, if they do consume alcohol, men should limit themselves to two drinks a day or fewer while women should stick to one or fewer.

Only a few decades behind the rise of skepticism in the health benefits of smoking. (Even with all those doctors recommending Camel and all.)

There's a South Park episode about the alcohol industry relying on ten percent of their buyers being alcoholics. That was me until a month ago. But I quit because it was now rampantly destroying my body in ways that severely affected me, even when sober. I'd keep drinking if I could.

Oh well, more money in my pocket. And more mental energy for nerd projects, which I'd long wanted to get back to anyway.

men should limit themselves to two drinks a day or fewer while women should stick to one or fewer.

7-14 drinks a week feels higher than “moderate” to me. You can go out and get quite drunk before exceeding that average.

My having a few glasses of scotch or cocktails a month realistically I think are worth whatever accelerate all cause mortality awaits me.

I get that recommendations is zero as the optimal to minimize risk, but we really should ask about acceptable and meaningful risk, and the studies are that drinkers like me are not really much higher risk than baseline non drinker rates. Plus at that amount BMI, activity, diet are all more important factors for health.

I do think the habit makes the difference for these things. It’s good to avoid making these things a habit and keeping them in moderation.

I’m 42 and I barely drink, even when I was in my crazy 20’s I would drink a little but I never got crazy with it. I believe personally it’s because I grew up with an alcoholic parent and most of my family were heavy drinkers and smokers. And seeing them destroy their lives was a reality check for me at a young age. Idk if that’s a factor with the younger generations now but just like politics I feel like the younger generation has learned what not to do. At least I hope so.

I keep a bottle of grapefruit vodka in the house. It doesn't go bad (easily), it tastes like grapefruit with very little alcohol taste when added to anything vaguely sweet, and if I do want to experience a buzz, I just add more.

That being said, I drink rarely in private and simply would rather not buy it at some insane mark up from a bar. A single beer should not cost the same as an entire 6-pack of the same brand from any store that sells it.

It's nice to see some good news once in a while.

Not just health hazards, but legal hazards, too. Get a DUI, and you instantly becomes a pariah to everyone around you, including work, who may fire you. Then there are the costs, fines, possible prison, increased insurance, etc.

Going out and partying it up in a city that requires cars, is too much of a risk, and getting drunk at home is kind of pathetic.

Also, legal/ semi-legal weed.

Here is a link to the Gallup poll, which I couldn't seem to find in the article above: https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx

I just hope we don't slide into another Prohibition, honestly. Between people who don't drink because health, and the social conservatives who want a fundamentalist theocracy, we are squeezed.

For me, it's money - I finally have a good job AND a husband with a good job, and over time have accumulated a collection of booze to use for cocktails. And if we want to go out for a drink it won't bankrupt us. I practice moderation, one drink 3-4 times a week but never more than one, plus two months off each year, and really like that much drinking, feel good physically.

I quit.

Work stress, financial stress, time stress, family stress… I didn’t used to drink much, but it sneaks up on you when it helps quiet the noise in your head about all the stresses. You find yourself looking forward to drinking even if technically you’re not an alcoholic.

Yeah, you know intellectually what the dangers are, but so much social life revolves around alcohol and media really doesn’t help by pushing the idea. Out and drinking, bbq at home and drinking, watching sports and drinking…etc.

I quit for a bit, tried to ease into light social drinking and hated looking over my shoulder all the time to see if an extra drink or three was going to sneak up on me. Hated that. Stopped being fun.

You see, to do things that cost money you need money to spend.

To get money you can get a job, maybe in a bar or restaurant.

Places that hire people need people to spend money at them to then pay people.

No one can afford the high prices in bars and restaurants on a regular enough basis.

Not enough people go to bars and restaurants to have them hire you, and with less people going there is less reason to go.

Its cheaper to buy booze and drink at home.

Government and everyone wants more money, so the price of everything goes up (booze included).

You don't get paid enough for non essential purchases.

You go into debt, just to have a little joy.

The debts are not paid and the debt companies struggle (klama etc). They stop lending.

You have to cut spending, by not drinking (even the cheap swill at home) you save money and feel like ass less often.

You (and many others) stop drinking altogether. <---- We are here

At some point the K type recession becomes so clear and you understand that you are not on the good part of the K.

Only drink on the weekends. 2-4 drinks spread across the second half of the day.

Drinking is expensive and overrated. I was sober for the majority of my life. Went on a 1 year drinking binge due to problems at home. It was fun but I paid a hefty price for it. Not worth it honestly. 2/10 wouldn’t do it again.

"The findings of the poll, which was conducted in July, indicate that after years of many believing that moderate drinking was harmless — or even beneficial — worries about alcohol consumption are taking hold. According to Gallup's data, even those who consume alcohol are drinking less."

I only drink with friends, but one friend doesn't drink, one is an alcoholic, and one also only drinks with friends. It's kinda hard to make it work even if we're able to meet up.

Seems about right. My partner doesn't drink alcohol, and I very seldomly drink alcohol. I petty much buy it if I'm going from cook with it, but beyond that, it's money I'd rather spend (or need to spend) elsewhere.

If I'd had to guess, I'd say it's a combo factor of people being poor, health consequences of partaking being more widely known, and adults choosing to socialize more online instead of going to bars.

Only? Still seems like a lot.

This must be the 54% of those who put Trump in office.