A record low number of Americans are drinking, according to a new Gallup poll released this week. Just 54% of Americans said they consume alcohol at all.

Gallup has been tracking Americans’ drinking behavior since 1939, and their views of the health implications of drinking since 2001. For the first time, a majority of Americans – 53% – said that moderate drinking, defined as one or two drinks per day, is bad for your health.

  • 4grams@awful.systems
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    1 day ago

    Got too easy during Covid so I took a break. Turns out it agreed with me so haven’t had a drop since. Don’t miss it at all despite being a craft beer fan. Easy to replace and I don’t get stupid when I’ve had too much tea.

    • Pika@rekabu.ru
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 day ago

      Tea is absolutely an art no less than beer, and if you’re there for the ritual or exploration, it offers both.

    • RagingRobot@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 day ago

      There is no fertility crisis though.

      People are plenty fertile lol

      they just don’t want kids. Also since they don’t want them and are satisfied with that, not a crisis

      • KumaSudosa@feddit.dk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        17 hours ago

        Both things can be true. I think it’s something like 25-30% of younger men with sperm cells so weak they’d at least struggle greatly to procreate. Probably more due to microplastics and fastfood though, but drinking doesn’t help. Same reason there are so many allergies etc in the West

      • iopq@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        18 hours ago

        They want them, but can’t afford a nice place to raise them. It’s no wonder in places like SF the fertility rate is much lower than the national average

        If only conservative people have kids the youngest voters will lean conservative

    • commander@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      I’m of the opinion that there’s no reversing a fertility crisis until we make teenage pregnancy great again. A 25 year old has seen too much, knows too much

  • RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 days ago

    Once trump has converted USA to Russia, everyone will be an alcoholic again. Then the statistics will be asking how many americans think methanol is bad for you. MAAA

    • PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      It’s honestly why I rarely drink much now. I am mostly a social drinker so it’s more of the fact it costs more and I am less social these days which puts me off from it. The only times I drink alone is when I want to pair some wine with a meal that complements it or having a few cold beers on the weekend while doing yard work.

    • WanderWisley@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 day ago

      This. Just like everything else in this country alcohol is getting expensive, not just cheap alcohol but all alcohol. I am not a drinker, but I have on occasions enjoy a drink here and there even for myself the price is too much to enjoy anymore.

      • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        1 day ago

        During COVID, one of the fun treats I’d get myself to keep my spirits up was a $15 margarita from a local Mexican place that delivered. Totally worth it though because it came in a quart-sized deli container (which I’d use to store the leftovers in after drinking all 32 ounces of that margarita in one sitting).

        Since COVID ended, I drink way less and I’ve lost like 10 or 15 lbs just from that, and I look back on those margaritas with a mixture of fondness, fear, and a tiny bit of disgust.

      • WindyRebel@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        2 days ago

        Plus I feel like they under pour the alcohol or barely give you the minimum if you do get one. They’re like Starbucks drinks, sugar bombs with a little bit of the ingredient you actually want.

  • sexy_peach@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 days ago

    This is very noticable in Germany as well. So much more zero alcohol beers popping up everywhere.

    It’s weird I feel old because I remember when everyone was drinking so much

    • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 day ago

      The situation might be better in Germany but in Finland all the 0% beers I’ve tried have tasted either shit or just not like the real thing

      • frongt@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        1 day ago

        You guys just have shit ones then. I’m in the US and Guinness zero tastes exactly like Guinness. Athletic Brewing Company’s upside dawn tastes exactly like regular beer.

        But since they also don’t have alcohol you don’t get those effects, so given the choice I’d rather just drink water.

        • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          1 day ago

          I’ve had the Guinness one and didn’t think it tasted the same. But it’s probably made locally so might be different to what you had.

    • the_elder@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 day ago

      America is not becoming halal. If anything, we’re trending more secular. Participation in Christianity is declining and “Other Religions” are remaining steady at around 6%, as of 2021. We’ll see if trends continue.

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        1 day ago

        We’ll see what happens with the crazies at the switch. They are trying to crowbar their little book club into the culture and government. I wouldn’t be surprised to see their chosen lifestyle getting unwarranted privileges (again), and even some instances where they are able to compel people to be xtians.

        Because the elites among the crazies certainly know that belief and participation in their little book club has been trending down for years now (losing about 1% of xtians a year or so for decades). Ironically, they may be doing a disservice to their numbers with their assault on Hispanics, since I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those numbers were buttressed by Catholics among Hispanics.

  • Fondots@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    2 days ago

    I enjoy drinking, I’m under no delusion that it has any physical health benefits, it’s quite literally poison.

    There’s maybe an argument for it having mental health benefits if used in moderation, but probably not any more than having any hobby or socialization would do for you, we all need to unwind somehow.

    Also, this definition of “moderate” drinking really rubs me the wrong way, one to two drinks a day really sounds to me like someone with a drinking problem.

    Not that two drinks is really a lot of alcohol, on the occasions I drink, I’ll usually have more than that, sometimes a lot more.

    But on an average week, I’m having maybe about two drinks, probably less.

    And even if I make some pretty wild overestimates about how often I go to parties or whatever and how much I drink there, I still average out to less than 2 drinks a day. More realistically I probably average out to more like ½ a drink per day.

    And like I said, I’m someone who likes alcohol. I have a fully-stocked bar at home that would put some nicer establishments to shame. For certain date nights it’s pretty much a given that my wife and I are going to kill a bottle of wine between us. I’m certainly no teetotaler.

    • Zak@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 day ago

      one to two drinks a day really sounds to me like someone with a drinking problem.

      This is typical of someone who drinks beer or wine with their evening meal. Many people who do that always do that unless they have a specific reason not to. This is not behavior most medical professionals see as problematic, though it likely has a small health impact/risk.

      on the occasions I drink, I’ll usually have more than [two drinks], sometimes a lot more.

      The US CDC describes that behavior as binge drinking.

    • darkdemize@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      2 days ago

      I think the two drinks a day is supposed to be an average. I don’t drink every day anymore, but when I did it was almost always more than two, usually at least double that by typical serving standards. On days I do drink now, it’s still about the same amount, but it’s once or twice a week, so my average is probably around a drink a day or so.

      • iopq@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        1 day ago

        The fuck? Nobody is having 7 drinks on friday and the same on Saturday and claiming they have two drinks a day