While younger generations are drinking less, adults aged 50 to 64 are drinking more, causing a shift reshaping the US bar scene
Alcohol consumption has decreased across the United States in recent years, particularly among adults under age 40, but there is one older demographic in which more people are drinking than before the Covid-19 pandemic – and more are doing so heavily, according to a new study.
For the first time since before the pandemic, the percentage of US adults who drink any alcohol decreased between 2022 and 2024, according to the report in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. People from 50 to 64, which roughly corresponds with gen X, were the only age group in which drinking continued to increase.
They are likely hurting their health by imbibing, according to the latest science, but they are also helping keep open bars. Such businesses have struggled as younger generations, the drivers of nightlife, move away from booze.
Really wish alcohol could be banned, but I guess we tried that before…
Personally I absolutely love a drink, a couple of times a month. I’d rather they banned guns, but guess my European is showing 😂
Alcohol is not the problem, binge drinking is the problem.
I mean, there is no “safe” amount of alcohol. Every drop you drink increases your risk of cancer and a slew of other problems.
To be clear, I drink now and then, so I’m not preaching.
the same is said about barbeque - especially smoking. I’m not quitting anytime soon.
We live in a society that fears it’s own shadow so much, we excise all joy from life, then wonder why we’re depressed.
surreal times.
Are you against recreational drugs? Or just alcohol?
Both
Well, recreational drugs include alcohol but I see your stance.
Yeah. You can ferment with live yeast caught on the wind, alcohol is not at all trivial to eliminate from society.
Guess the current solution of not letting people accrue wealth has done wonders for alcoholism prevention groups
I guess. I think younger generations are just generally trending more LOHAS, and alcohol is kind of the new smoking, like when I was young that started to seem uncool and old-coded. And now that I’m a middle-aged drinker and sometime-brewer I know how those old farts felt when us youngsters started telling them that smoking sucks, kills you, stinks, doesn’t belong in polite society, etc.
It feels fine, actually. I accept it. I hope it stays uncool and a whole generation of people moves on to something healthier. Mushrooms and eating the rich, ideally but I’ll take it all in stride. I’m not ready to quit drinking, but like with eating meat I can at least see the antis have sense on their side and I wish them well.