U.S. Alcohol Use Falls After Pandemic Rise but Not for All Ages
A CDC National Health Interview Survey analysis of 114,352 U.S. adults from 2018 to 2024 found past-year drinking fell about 2 percentage points from 2022 to 2024, the first decline since the pandemic. Findings were published Sept. 20, 2026 in Annals of Internal Medicine. Overall heavy drinking fell more than 8 percentage points from 2022 to 2024, though 2024 levels still exceeded 2018. Gen Z (18-29) drinking fell over 5 percentage points from 2022 to 2024, the steepest age-group drop, and millennial (30-49) heavy drinking fell 17 percentage points. Men's overall drinking fell 2.4 percent and women's 1.1 percent; heavy drinking declines were 9 percent for women and 7.7 percent for men. Among ages 50-64, drinking rose about 4 percentage points and heavy drinking rose more than 36 percentage points from 2018 to 2024. Brian Lee said it is encouraging to see a decrease in drinking for the first time since the pandemic, that the overall decline must not obscure increased risks among specific groups, and that prevention efforts need to become more refined to match the characteristics of each group, noting alcohol-related cirrhosis is most often diagnosed in people in their 50s.