Pandemic-induced drinking continues

More people in the US began drinking during the pandemic, and that number is yet to go back down, a study suggested. In 2018, 66% of Americans said they had consumed alcohol at some level; in 2022 it was 69%, while more people also reported heavy drinking. The group most likely to drink heavily was adults in their 40s, with those aged 50 to 64 close behind.

And more women than men reported drinking heavily; the study’s co-author said the pandemic’s stresses especially affected women. But drinking is down among younger Americans: A 2023 Gallup poll found that those aged 18 to 34 have become steadily less likely to say that they drink over the past two decades.