Prevalence of Any, Heavy Alcohol Use Has Decreased Since 2022

TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The national prevalence of any and heavy alcohol use in the United States has decreased since 2022, according to a research letter published online Sept. 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Divya Ayyala-Somayajula, M.D., from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and colleagues used cross-sectional data surveying U.S. adults from 2018 to 2024 to examine trends in alcohol use. For any and heavy alcohol use, the annual prevalence per 100 persons and absolute difference in prevalence for 2024 versus 2022 and 2024 versus 2018 were estimated.

The researchers found that the absolute reductions in national prevalence of any and heavy alcohol use in 2024 versus 2022 were −1.24 and −0.52 percent, respectively, for the overall population. Absolute reductions in any alcohol use were seen in most subgroups, especially among men, those born between 1997 and 2012, and persons of White race (−1.76, −3.96, and −1.45 percent, respectively). Absolute reductions in heavy alcohol use were seen in most subgroups, especially among adults aged 30 to 49 years, those born between 1981 and 1996, persons of White race, persons of non-Hispanic ethnicity, and urban residents (−1.67, −1.19, −0.78, −0.68, and −0.57 percent, respectively). Despite these reductions, any and heavy alcohol use remained at or above the prepandemic levels of 2018.

“These findings suggest that alcohol prevention efforts need to become more tailored to specific populations,” principal investigator Brian P. Lee, M.D., from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, said in a statement. “Different groups are showing different patterns of alcohol use, and understanding those differences could help us develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies.”

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