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New research shows that alcohol consumption in the United States has declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, but consumption remains above pre-pandemic levels – with one particular group showing a sharp increase in heavy drinking.
A study conducted by the University of Southern California/Keck Medicine found that among adults aged 50 to 64, alcohol consumption increased by almost 4% between 2018 and 2024, while binge drinking increased by more than 36%.
Across all age groups, alcohol consumption decreased by almost 2%, and binge drinking by more than 8% between 2022 and 2024. However, overall alcohol consumption remained above pre-pandemic levels.
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Among Gen Z adults, alcohol consumption has decreased by more than 5%. Millennials drank about 17% less between 2022 and 2024.
The findings, published Sept. 21 in Annals of Internal Medicine, were based on self-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey, which included 114,352 U.S. adults from 2018 to 2024.
A study conducted by the University of Southern California/Keck Medicine found that among adults aged 50 to 64, alcohol consumption increased by almost 4% between 2018 and 2024, while binge drinking increased by more than 36%. (iStock)
Binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for men in the previous 12 months and at least four drinks per day or eight drinks per week for women.
It was found that men experienced a greater reduction in their alcohol consumption than women (2.4% versus 1.1%), but women had a greater reduction in binge drinking (9%) compared to men (7.7%).
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“Women’s binge drinking increased more than men’s during the pandemic and is still about 13% above what it was in 2018,” the study’s lead author, Brian P. Lee, MD, associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, told Fox News Digital. “Women develop liver damage at lower levels of alcohol consumption than men, so this figure carries more weight than it seems.”
The study was funded in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institutes of Health.
It was found that men experienced a greater reduction in their alcohol consumption than women (2.4% versus 1.1%), but women had a greater reduction in binge drinking (9%) compared to men (7.7%). (iStock)
Limitations of the study
The main limitation of the study is that people reported their own levels of alcohol consumption, which tended to be low, according to Lee.
“It also can’t tell us why alcohol consumption has changed, only that it has,” he told Fox News Digital. “And we have two years of decline after four years of increase, so I would describe this as a promising turning point rather than an established trend.”
Researchers also did not study the reasons why young adults reduced their alcohol consumption.
“Women develop liver damage at lower levels of alcohol consumption than men, so this figure carries more weight than it seems.”
Potential reasons why older people drink more
Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of substance abuse services at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, said many factors can contribute to the increased rate of alcohol use among older adults.
“As we approach our 50s and 60s, we start to reflect on our lives and changes start to happen,” Tuell, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
The loneliness epidemic in the United States and the fact that people are more “polarized” and “disconnected” could also come into play, according to an addiction expert. (iStock)
The loneliness epidemic in the United States and the fact that people are more “polarized” and “disconnected” could also come into play, according to Tuell.
Grief and loss can also lead to increased alcohol use as people look for a way to escape or cope with the loss of friends or family members.
“One in four people will experience a mental health issue…depression, anxiety, loss, grief – these are real things that affect people,” Tuell said. “And it’s at a time when a person can feel very vulnerable.”
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As people age, problems related to chronic pain and medical problems may also increase, leading to a reduction in function.
“Now I have these aches, or maybe I’m diagnosed with something more serious,” Tuell said as an example. “So this becomes a problem that I now have to deal with.”
Grief and loss can also lead to increased alcohol use as people look for a way to escape or cope with the loss of friends or family members. (iStock)
Many aging adults are also approaching retirement age, which can lead to a loss of structure and change the identity they’ve had for decades, the expert noted.
“I wake up and something I’ve been doing every day for many, many years is no longer happening. So I’m even more bored. What should I do with my time? It’s unfortunately a perfect storm for things like substance use.”
Risks of alcohol for older people
As older adults experience bodily changes, they no longer metabolize alcohol the same way they used to, Tuell noted.
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“What I was drinking maybe five years ago…that same amount now may affect me differently, because I don’t metabolize it like I used to,” he said.
Women are particularly affected by alcohol, Tuell said, probably because they have less body fat and don’t have as much water in their bodies.
For those over 50 and drinking more than before 2020, the lead researcher recommends consulting a doctor about liver health, “even if everything is fine.” (iStock)
Lee noted that while alcohol doesn’t harm everyone equally, the risk starts at low levels and increases with each additional drink.
“There is no level that the evidence suggests is safe.”
Red flags
To determine if someone has a drinking problem, Tuell recommends using the “three Cs.”
- Control: “Is there a loss of control? I can’t deal with this behavior anymore.”
- Compulsive: “I can’t stop doing it. I keep doing it despite the negative consequences. Knowing that I could lose my job, I could lose my marriage, I could lose a lot of things in my life, I do it anyway.”
- Can’t: “I can’t stop thinking about it – it might be the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning or the last thing I think about when I go to bed.”
Alcohol can still be problematic even if someone doesn’t have an addiction, Tuell noted.
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For example, they might drink more than they should, to the point of having a hangover or putting themselves in danger.
“Maybe it impacts my interactions with other people, my interpersonal relationships, my hobbies, my interests,” he said. “Maybe it’s affecting my sleep.”
In a normal sleep schedule, people cycle four to five times a night, but when drinking, it’s more like two to three times, the expert said. (iStock)
In a normal sleep schedule, people cycle four to five times a night, but when drinking, it’s more like two to three times, Tuell said. “So we don’t have a good rest during this period.”
It’s never too late to seek help for alcohol addiction, he stressed.
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“I’ve treated octogenarians who still had a lot of life left,” Tuell said, noting that Americans are living longer. “So we get older, we get older, and there are a lot of changes that happen in life…physically, emotionally, and psychologically.”
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For those over 50 and drinking more than before 2020, Lee recommends consulting a doctor about liver health, “even if everything is fine.”
“There is a clear increase in cancer and liver risk with alcohol, even at low levels,” he warned. “Even advanced liver disease may have no symptoms, and the earlier alcohol-related liver damage is detected, the more it can be repaired.”
Gn Health
