According to a recent Gallup survey, Americans are drinking at their lowest rate in 90 years. The data were self-reported, so they could be skewed, but some of the drops were dramatic. Only 56 percent of respondents ages 35 to 54 said they drank alcohol, down from 70 percent in 2024. Younger cohorts seem to be drinking less than older ones, with only 50 percent of those ages 18–34 saying they drink. What is driving these trends? Experts cite growing awareness of the health problems associated with drinking, as well as inflation. But the single biggest factor may be the substitution of cannabis for alcohol. The number of daily cannabis users recently surpassed the number of daily alcohol drinkers.
In other words, substance use is not going anywhere. A recent study presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress found that 41.9 percent of drivers killed in automobile accidents tested in Montgomery County, Ohio, had high amounts of THC in their systems. There is another worrisome trend — the narrowing of the gender gap. From 2021 to 2023, young adult women (18–25 years old) had significantly higher past-month binge-drinking rates than men. This mirrors other recent findings, including that teenage girls are engaging in illegal drug use at higher rates than teenage boys.
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