U.S. alcohol use drops but heavy drinking persists among older

Alcohol consumption among U.S. adults has fallen for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, but millions still drink at levels that exceed pre-pandemic norms, according to new research.

The decline comes after years of raised drinking tied to pandemic isolation, stress, and disrupted routines. Between 2022 and 2024, overall alcohol use dropped by nearly 2%, while heavy drinking fell by over 8%. Yet the numbers remain well above 2019 levels: 3% more adults now drink alcohol at all, and 13% more engage in heavy drinking—roughly 5 million and 2 million more people, respectively.

Heavy drinking is defined more strictly than many realize: 14 drinks a week for men and seven for women, or three to four drinks in a single day. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed data from over 111,000 U.S. adults surveyed between 2018 and 2024.

Age plays a critical role in the trends. While younger generations, particularly Gen Z (born 1997–2012), cut back the most, with overall alcohol use down by 5%, older adults aged 50 to 64 drank more than before. Their heavy drinking rose by 36%, a sharp increase given that this group faces higher health risks, including liver disease and alcohol-related cancers. The pandemic may have locked in habits that persisted long after restrictions lifted, according to the study’s lead investigator, Brian Lee, a hepatologist at Keck Medicine of USC.

Older adults today grew up in an era when heavy drinking was more socially accepted. “They settled into a higher rate of heavy drinking during the pandemic that never decreased,” Lee noted. The shift is concerning because alcohol’s health toll is more severe in older populations.

Millennials (born 1981–1996) saw the largest drop in heavy drinking, 17%, while Gen Z’s overall decline suggests younger adults may be less influenced by social pressures to drink. Cost could also be a factor, as alcohol remains expensive relative to younger incomes.

The study’s findings highlight how drinking patterns vary sharply by age. In 2018, heavy drinking rates were relatively even across groups, with older adults slightly ahead. By 2024, the gap widened: younger adults reduced consumption, while older ones increased it. Gender differences also emerged, men cut back more (2.4%) than women (1.1%), though heavy drinking declined similarly for both.

Lee said the study didn’t explore why habits changed, but the persistence of pandemic-era drinking suggests some may have developed dependence. “Although the study did not look at reasons for this, Lee said, ‘You worry that drinking habits that formed because of the effects of the pandemic on daily life have become more permanent or even dependence or an addiction.’”