Alcohol use declined post-pandemic but has surged among older adults

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)

Study limitations

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.

“Now I have these aches and pains, or maybe I’m diagnosed with something more serious,” Tuell said as an example. “So that becomes a problem that I now have to deal with.”

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. (iStock)

Many aging adults are also approaching retirement age, which can result in a loss of structure and change the identity they’ve had for decades, the expert noted.

“I wake up and something I’ve done every day for many, many years is no longer happening. So I’m more bored. What do I do with my time? This is unfortunately a perfect storm for things like substance use.”

Risks of alcohol for older adults

As older adults experience body changes, they don’t metabolize alcohol the same way they once did, Tuell noted.

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“What I used to drink maybe five years ago … that same amount now can affect me differently, because I’m not metabolizing it like I used to,” he said.

Women are especially impacted by alcohol, Tuell said, likely because they may have less body fat and don’t have as much water in their bodies.

For those who are over 50 and drinking more than they did before 2020, the lead researcher recommends asking a doctor about liver health, “even if nothing feels wrong.” (iStock)

Lee noted that while alcohol doesn’t harm everyone equally, the risk starts at low levels and goes up with every additional drink.

“There isn’t a level the evidence shows to be safe.”

Red flags

To determine whether someone has a problem with alcohol, Tuell recommends using the “three Cs.”

• Control: “Is there a loss of control? I can’t manage this behavior any longer.”
• Compulsive: “I can’t stop doing it. I continue to do it despite the negative consequences. Knowing that I could lose my job, I could lose my marriage, I could lose lots of things in my life, I do it anyway.”
• Can’t: “I can’t stop thinking about it — it might be the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning or the last thing I think about when I go to bed.”

Alcohol can still be problematic even if someone doesn’t have an addiction, Tuell noted.

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For example, they might drink more than they should, to the point where they get a hangover or put themselves at risk.

“Maybe it’s impacting my interactions with other people, interpersonal relationships, hobbies, interests,” he said. “Maybe it’s affecting my sleep.”

In a normal sleep pattern, people go through a cycle four to five times per night – but when they drink, it’s more like two to three times, the expert said. (iStock)

In a normal sleep pattern, people go through a cycle four to five times per night — but when they drink, it’s more like two to three times, Tuell said. “So, we’re not getting good rest during that period.”

It’s never too late to seek help with alcohol dependency, he pointed out.

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“I’ve treated people in their 80s who still have a lot of life left,” Tuell said, pointing out that Americans are living longer. “So we’re aging, we’re getting older, and there are a lot of life changes happening … physically, emotionally, psychologically.”

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For those who are over 50 and drinking more than they did before 2020, Lee recommends asking a doctor about liver health, “even if nothing feels wrong.”

“There are clear increases in cancer and liver risk with alcohol, even at low levels,” he warned. “Even advanced liver disease might have no symptoms, and the earlier alcohol-related liver damage is caught, the more of it can be undone.”