Americans are putting down the bottle, and not just for Dry January

According to Gallup, just 54% of US adults now say they drink alcohol, the lowest level recorded in nearly 90 years. That’s after three straight years of declines, driven mostly by women and young adults. Young adults’ drinking rate has slipped to 50%, while women’s fell 11 points (to 51%) since 2023. And this isn’t about people swapping booze for weed, because marijuana use has stayed relatively flat. Data suggests many Americans are simply opting out of alcohol altogether.⁣

At the same time, attitudes have flipped, with 53% of Americans now believing even moderate drinking is bad for health, the first time a majority has held that view. Among young adults, that figure is closer to two-thirds. Even people who still drink are cutting back, consuming fewer drinks per week and putting longer gaps between glasses.