Aug. 20, 2026Updated Aug. 21, 2026, 8:57 a.m. ET
Not sure about grabbing that beer? You’re not alone.
Americans are reaching for alcohol at record lows, according to a new Gallup survey.
The survey, out Aug. 20, found the number of Americans who say they drink alcohol sits at 54% for the second consecutive year − and health concerns appear to be a major factor.
“Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults now believe drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day is bad for one’s health,” the survey results noted. “The figure is essentially unchanged from last year’s record-high 53%.”
In 2001, only 27% considered moderate drinking bad for one’s health, according to Gallup.
Awareness of research about drinking and health has also increased, the survey found, with 86% of Americans who said they have “heard at least something about recent studies concerning the long-term health effects of drinking,” which is up from 79% in 2024.
Drinking alcohol is linked to negative health impacts, including a higher chance of certain cancers.
Research published earlier this year in the American Cancer Society’s peer-reviewed journal Cancer found drinkers with an average lifetime alcohol intake of 14 or more drinks per week had a 25% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer and a 95% higher risk of developing rectal cancer compared to those with an average of less than one drink per week.
Americans who report sometimes drinking too much has also fallen to a new low of 13%.
“Before 2000, more than 20% of Americans routinely reported overdrinking, including a record-high 35% in 1989,” the survey noted.
For the first time, Gallup also asked about nonalcoholic alternatives − and 17% reported consuming nonalcoholic beer, wine or spirits instead of an alcoholic drink in the past year.
Findings were based on interviews in July with more than 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.
This decline in drinking is a trend experts think will stick around.
“I don’t think it’s a blip at this point. If anything, I think this trend is going to continue to strengthen,” Dr. Jared Harp, addiction psychiatrist at Cleveland Clinic, previously told USA TODAY.
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