A growing shift in how US Americans understand the real extent of alcohol harm is gaining momentum.
People in the US, and especially those under age 35, are increasingly aware of the risks from alcohol use. A growing share of young people is endorsing the view that already low-dose alcohol use is bad for health.
This article unpacks the findings of a new Gallup poll and explains the driving forces for the growing awareness that already small amounts of alcohol are unhealthy.

Public opinion shifts: More awareness of alcohol’s health harming effects

Since 2001, Gallup has measured US Americans’ views of the health effects of low-dose alcohol use ten times. The latest data come from the July 1-21, 2024 Consumption Habits poll.

Gallup, Inc. is a US American multinational analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C. Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the company became known for its public opinion polls conducted worldwide. Gallup provides analytics and management consulting to organizations globally.

The latest Gallup poll reveals that 45% of Americans believe consuming one or two alcoholic beverages daily is harmful to health.

This signifies a six-percentage-point increase compared to 2023 and a 17-percentage-point increase since the prior reading in 2018.

It means that in 2024, awareness of the health risks from low-dose alcohol consumption among US Americans reached its highest percentage since the survey began in 2001.

45%
Public awareness of risk from small amounts of alcohol
The latest Gallup poll reveals that 45% of Americans believe consuming one or two alcoholic beverages daily is harmful to health.

New high in US Americans’ view of alcohol consumption as bad for health

It is remarkable that awareness of alcohol’s health risks is now higher than people’s belief that consuming small amounts of alcohol ‘doesn’t matter’ for one’s health.

© Gallup, 2024: Do you, personally, think consuming small amounts of alcohol (one or two alcoholic drinks a day) is good for your health, makes no difference or is bad for your health?

Young adults increasingly think alcohol is bad for health

Gallup reports that US Americans’ attitudes about alcohol varied significantly by age.

The new data show that young adults have become progressively more likely to say alcohol use is bad for one’s health.

Whereas 65% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 34 say alcohol consumption negatively affects one’s health, 37% of those aged 35 to 54 and 39% of those aged 55 and older agree.

65%
Young people increasingly think alcohol is unhealthy
65% of young people aged 18 to 34 say alcohol consumption negatively affects one’s health.

While it is not a new phenomenon that younger people are more likely than those in older age groups to view alcohol as unhealthy, the latest gaps in perceptions are the largest recorded, according to Gallup.

@ Gallup, 2024: Do you, personally, think consuming small amounts of alcohol – that is, one or two alcoholic drinks a day – is good for your health, makes no difference or is bad for your health?

In line with growing awareness of alcohol’s negative impact on one’s health, people in the US have also become more likely over the past year to say alcohol is harmful to people who consume it.

Already in 2023 Movendi International reported about a Gallup poll finding that more than half of young adults in the U.S. see the consumption of small amounts of alcohol – one or two alcoholic drinks per day – as unhealthy.

  • A record-high 39% of US Americans said in 2023 that consumption of small amounts of alcohol was detrimental to health, up 11 points since 2018.
  • Among 18- to 34-year-olds, there was an 18-point jump — the biggest among any age group.
  • Women are more likely than men to perceive low-dose alcohol use as unhealthy. 
  • Nonreligious people (47%) were more likely than Christians (35%) to say low-dose alcohol use was harmful.
  • Consumer behavior is changing too, with more interest in mocktails and bars appealing to sober-curious patrons.
  • The growth of nonalcoholic beverages — while still a small sector — is being driven by Gen Z and millennials.

Currently, almost nine in ten U.S. adults say alcohol use is “very” (33%) or “somewhat” (53%) harmful to those who consume it. This awareness of alcohol’s health harming effects has increased three points in the past year, according to Gallup.

In 2024, Gallup asked people in the US their opinion of the best health advice for a person who consumes an average amount of alcohol.

A majority said the best advice was to reduce the amount of alcohol they consume (55%), while 22% say they should stop consuming alcohol altogether. 

77%
Best health advice for a person who consumes an ‘average amount of alcohol’
Most people would advice to reduce or quit alcohol: 55% would advise to reduce and 22% think the best health advise was to quit alcohol.

Pluralities of both middle-aged and older adults (49% among each group) think alcohol consumption does not make a difference to one’s health, according to the Gallup data. At the same time, ca. one in ten in both groups think alcohol use has positive health effects.

Awareness of alcohol’s health risk is even slightly down among the 35 to 54-year olds, compared to 2023 levels.

Although most US Americans in each age group would advise the average alcohol consumer to reduce or stop their alcohol intake to achieve better health, those aged 18 to 34 are significantly more likely to do so.

Similar percentages of each age group, between 21% and 23%, say stopping alcohol use is the best advice for a low-dose alcohol consumer, but two-thirds of young adults versus about half of middle-aged and older adults recommend a reduction in alcohol consumption. That leaves about half as many young adults (10%) as middle-aged (21%) and older adults (19%) saying the best health advice for the average alcohol consumer was to not change their alcohol use habits.

Alcohol use levels in US are relatively steady

About six in ten adults, 58%, now say they have occasion to consume alcoholic beverages, slightly below the historical trend of 63% in Gallup polls dating back to 1939.

Among those who do consume alcohol, 61% report having done so within the past week, including 28% who say it was in the past 24 hours and 33% who say it was two to seven days ago.

Another 38% say their last alcoholic drink was more than a week ago.

But among younger US Americans this is changing.

The data demonstrate a notable decline in alcohol use among younger people, as 62% of adults under the age of 35 report alcohol use. This is a 10-point drop compared to two decades ago.

This finding aligns with a 2023 Gallup survey, which revealed that young people in the US increasingly perceive alcohol negatively. The report attributed this trend to growing awareness of alcohol’s health risks and the growing availability of alcohol-free beverages.

What explains these shifts in public awareness?

People’s concerns about alcohol use are not linked to an increase in reports of alcohol-related problems in families. Rather, the 25% of U.S. adults who now say alcohol has ever been a cause of trouble in their family is the lowest since 1996.

Shifting views about alcohol are also not the result of a deep knowledge among people in the US of recent studies about the long-term health harm caused by alcohol. Just 19% of U.S. adults say they have heard “a great deal” about such studies, and 30% have heard “a fair amount” – while 30% say they have heard “not much” and 21% “nothing at all.”

Nevertheless, people who say they have heard a great deal or fair amount about these studies (51%) are more likely than those with little or no familiarity (40%) to say consuming low amounts of alcohol is bad for one’s health. Similarly, those who are more familiar with studies about the long-term health harm caused by alcohol are more likely than those with little or no knowledge to say alcohol consumers should stop consuming alcohol altogether (26% vs. 17%, respectively).

Research continuously reveals alcohol’s health risks

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open, reported by CNN Health, highlights the risks of alcohol use for older adults. Tracking over 135,000 adults aged 60 and above, researchers found that even low levels of alcohol use increase health risks. For instance, occasional alcohol use (less than 20 grams per week) served as the baseline for comparisons.

  • People classified as low-risk (up to 10 grams daily for women and 20 grams for men) had a 10% higher likelihood of dying from cancer compared to people rarely consuming alcohol.
  • People who consume medium amounts of alcohol had a 10-15% higher risk of death from any cause, including cancer.
  • High-risk alcohol consumers faced a 33% higher risk of death from cancer, heart disease, and other causes.

These results reflect a broader trend, as noted in a recent Stat News article. It reported escalating health problems caused by alcohol nationwide, such as liver disease and other chronic conditions. The article emphasized the urgent need for public health interventions to prevent and reduce alcohol harm. 


Additional sources

Newsweek, 2024: “Gen Z Turns Away From Alcohol

CNN: “Alcohol’s healthy halo dims as study finds drinking may be harmful for older adults, even at low levels

Movendi International: “USA: Young People View Alcohol Increasingly Negative

Stat News: “By the numbers: America’s alcohol-related health problems are rising fast

Gallup 2023: “More Americans View Moderate Drinking as Unhealthy

Axios, 2023: “Young adults sour on drinking alcohol


Source Website: Gallup