Bottoms up, America

U.S. drinking rate hits 25-year high

This article was published on 08.12.10

During the economic hardships of the past couple of years, many people have had to forgo some pleasures. But, according to a new survey, alcohol was not among them. In fact, the number of adult Americans who drink (67 percent) has reached a 25-year high. That’s not too far off the all-time high (71 percent) set in the years between 1976 and 1978. Pollster Gallup has been conducting a survey of U.S. alcohol consumption for 71 years. Interestingly, the numbers have remained relatively stable. The year with the lowest use (55 percent) was 1958. The survey tracks a number of interesting data, including church attendance, education and salary. Here are the results based on age:

Age % drinkers % abstainers 18 to 34 72 27 35 to 54 72 28 55 and older 59 41

Source: Gallup.com