Alcohol use among American adults has declined for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. But researchers are saying the encouraging trend is being complicated by a sharp and continuing rise in drinking among adults in their 50s and early 60s.
The study found that any alcohol use among U.S. adults fell by nearly 2% from 2022 to 2024, while heavy drinking declined by more than 8% over the same period. Despite the drop, alcohol use remains higher than it was before the pandemic began in 2020.
The research was led by Dr. Brian P. Lee, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, and was based on National Health Interview Survey data from more than 114,000 U.S. adults between 2018 and 2024.
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