Almost 70% of American adults say they drink alcohol, and 47% of those Americans say beer is their alcoholic beverage of choice. It's the highest level of alcohol consumption since 1985.
Gallup has been tracking alcohol consumption by American adults for the past 71 years. The highest level of consumption was from 1976-1978, when 71% of Americans said they drank alcohol. The lowest on record was in 1958, when only 55% of Americans said they drank.
More than 3/4 of Americans between the ages of 18 and 54 consume alcohol now. Only 59% of Americans over the age of 55 admit to alcohol consumption, even though moderate alcohol use has been medically proven to lower the probability of heart trouble.
More than 80% of non-religious adults consume alcohol, a significant increase from Protestants and non-Catholic Christians (61%), but only two percentage points higher than Catholics (78%). Of the people who attend church weekly, 54% admit to drinking, and 46% admit to abstaining. Just about 75% of Americans who drink say the never or rarely attend church.
The biggest breakdown in American alcohol consumption, however, seems to reside in income levels. More than 80% of Americans making more than $75,000 a year say they drink, and only 19% completely abstain from drinking. On the flipside, only 46% of Americans earning less than $20,000 a year drink alcohol, and 54% say they have completely abstained.
As the Great Depression came to an end, Gallup recorded that 58% of Americans said they drank alcohol. Are things that bad now?
Comments
They forgot to subtract the drinking illegal immigrant drinkers from the poll.
They are not Americans.
Have born Americans a brain? There is doubt! I guess the brains are removed in US schools.
Well, with 10 days a year vacation, lousy health insurance and paltry raises, it's no wonder 80% over income earners of 75k drink.
The under 20k number is understandable, they can't afford to drink.
There was a time called Prohibition, might be why the numbers from the past are so low. Also, beer is everywhere (US) and more states/counties allow it to be sold rather than liquor.
You mean right now? Because I'm drinking right now.
Oh wow, no way dude are you serious? That makes sense dude. I like it.
Lou
www.web-privacy.at.tc
Remember that time that drinking alcohol was widely considered a bad thing?
Not really. I was born in the 20th Century.
But church says...
Exactly.
Why not were all gonna die sooner or later so why not get drunk and have fun
If you had a couple of relatives die of alcoholism, you might feel differently.
If a couple of your relatives died of alcoholism, you might have a different take on drinking.
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