The latest Gallup poll shows that only 54% of Americans now say they drink — the lowest rate in the poll's 90-year history. The poll found declines in drinking since 2023 across all income and age groups, but what stood out to me is that Americans aged 55 and older showed only about half the decrease in drinking compared with the other age groups measured.

The age divide in America's alcohol story

While Americans 55 and older saw only a 5-point decrease in drinking, young adults (18-34) accounted for a 9-point reduction, with their drinking rate falling to 50%. Middle-aged adults (35-54) fell by a full 10 points, to 56%.

If accurate (let's remember it's based on self-reported drinking or abstinence rates), the poll represents an acceleration of a trend that's been building for more than a decade. People 18 to 34 years old have been fundamentally reimagining their relationship with alcohol. Two-thirds now believe moderate drinking is harmful to health, double the rate from just 10 years ago, according to Gallup.

Older Americans... not so much. We're still clinking to our beer mugs, wine decanters and cocktail lowballs. But why? I think we tend to view health research more skeptically than younger folks. We came of age during an era when moderate drinking, especially wine, was promoted as heart-healthy — remember resveratrol? From the 1990s through the 2010s, having a glass of red wine with dinner wasn't just acceptable it was practically medical advice.

The recent reversal in medical opinion, declaring no amount of alcohol safe, asks our generation to abandon a belief it was happy to maintain for decades.

Even alcohol is political now

Perhaps the most unexpected finding in the Gallup poll: Republicans showed a 19-point drop in reported drinking since 2023, falling to 46%, while Democrats held fairly steady at 61%. This massive partisan gap can't be explained by income or age alone. Republicans are also less likely than Democrats to believe moderate drinking is bad for health (44% vs. 58%), making their dramatic reduction in actual drinking even more worthy of further exploration.

The gender factor

Women showed an 11-point decline in drinking since 2023 (to 51%), compared to a 5-point decline among men (to 57%). Women are also significantly more likely than men to view moderate drinking as unhealthy (60% vs. 47%). This suggests women are both more concerned about alcohol's health impacts and more likely to act on those concerns.

What's really happening

Among Americans who still drink, they now consume an average of 2.8 drinks per week, down from 3.8 a year ago — the lowest since Gallup started tracking this statistic, in 1996. Only 24% of drinkers reported having a drink during the previous 24 hours, another record low for this 90-year-old poll.

For the first time, a majority of Americans (53%) believe moderate drinking is bad for health.

These changes aren't hitting everyone equally. The most dramatic shift is generational: Young adults are abandoning alcohol while older Americans hold steady. The data suggests we're witnessing not just a decline in drinking, but a fundamental generational split in how Americans relate to alcohol.

The political divide adds another layer of complexity that defies easy explanation. Why would Republicans, who are less likely to believe alcohol is harmful, show the steepest decline in actual drinking?

There's a good story there if someone wants to dig further.

What's clear is that America's relationship with alcohol is changing in ways that don't follow simple economic or demographic lines. Age and income level appear to be the strongest predictors of changes in drinking habits.

Which is why drinking is the new smoking — something for which future generations may well look back on us with amused bewilderment.

To find out more about Paul Von Zielbauer and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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