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Heavy drinking surges among Americans in one age group as other generations cut back - Fox News
From Fox News via USVI News: Adults ages 50 to 64 saw heavy drinking surge more than 36% since 2018, even as overall U.S. alcohol use finally began to decline post-pandemic.
Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, discusses why alcohol poses higher risks to people as they age, and shares tips for moderating intake.
New research shows that U.S. alcohol use has declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, but drinking remains above pre-pandemic levels — with one particular group showing a sharp increase in heavy intake.
A study led by the University of Southern California/Keck Medicine found that among adults ages 50 to 64, alcohol use increased by nearly 4% from 2018 to 2024, while heavy drinking increased by more than 36%.
Across all age groups, alcohol use declined by nearly 2%, and heavy drinking declined by more than 8% from 2022 to 2024. However, overall alcohol use remained above pre-pandemic levels.
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Among Gen Z adults, alcohol use declined by more than 5%. Millennials drank approximately 17% less from 2022 to 2024.
The findings, which were published on Sept. 21 in Annals of Internal Medicine, were based on self-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey, which included 114,352 U.S. adults from 2018 to 2024.
A study led by the University of Southern California/Keck Medicine found that among adults ages 50 to 64, alcohol use increased by nearly 4% from 2018 to 2024, while heavy drinking increased by more than 36%. (iStock)
Heavy drinking was defined as five or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for men within the preceding 12 months and at least four daily drinks or eight weekly drinks for women.
Men were found to have a larger alcohol decline than women (2.4% vs. 1.1%), but women had a larger reduction in heavy drinking (9%) compared to men (7.7%).
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"Women’s heavy drinking rose more than men's during the pandemic and is still about 13% above where it was in 2018," lead study author Brian P. Lee, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, told Fox News Digital. "Women develop liver damage at lower levels of drinking than men, so that number carries more weight than it looks."
The study was funded in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institutes of Health.
Men were found to have a larger alcohol decline than women (2.4% vs. 1.1%), but women had a larger reduction in heavy drinking (9%) compared to men (7.7%). (iStock)
The chief limitation of the study is that people reported their own levels of drinking, which tend to run low, according to Lee.
"It also can't tell us why drinking changed, only that it did," he told Fox News Digital. "And we have two years of decline after four years of increases, so I'd describe this as a promising turn rather than an established trend."
The researchers also did not investigate the reasons younger adults reduced alcohol consumption.
"Women develop liver damage at lower levels of drinking than men, so that number carries more weight than it looks."
Potential reasons older adults are drinking more
Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said many factors may contribute to the increased rate of drinking among older adults.
"As we approach our 50s and 60s, we start reflecting on our lives, and changes start to happen," Tuell, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
The loneliness epidemic in the U.S., and the fact that people are more "polarized" and "disconnected," may also come into play, according to an addiction expert. (iStock)
The loneliness epidemic in the U.S., and the fact that people are more "polarized" and "disconnected," may also come into play, according to Tuell.
Grief and loss may also lead to increased drinking as people seek a way to escape or cope with the loss of friends and family members.
"One out of four people will experience some mental health issue … depression, anxiety, loss, grief — these are real things that are impacting people," Tuell said. "And it's at a time where a person might feel very vulnerable."
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As people age, there may also be increased issues related to chronic pain and medical issues, resulting in reduced function.
This article is republished through the USVI News affiliate desk. Reporting, analysis, and viewpoints are those of the original publisher and do not necessarily reflect USVI News.