While younger generations are drinking less, adults aged 50 to 64 are drinking more, causing a shift reshaping the US bar scene
Alcohol consumption has decreased across the United States in recent years, particularly among adults under age 40, but there is one older demographic in which more people are drinking than before the Covid-19 pandemic – and more are doing so heavily, according to a new study.
For the first time since before the pandemic, the percentage of US adults who drink any alcohol decreased between 2022 and 2024, according to the report in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. People from 50 to 64, which roughly corresponds with gen X, were the only age group in which drinking continued to increase.
They are likely hurting their health by imbibing, according to the latest science, but they are also helping keep open bars. Such businesses have struggled as younger generations, the drivers of nightlife, move away from booze.
we’re old and dont give a duck
Rhere is a multitude of reasons we’re drinking more. none of them are pleasant.
Weed is the new alcohol.
Those are the people that were already drinking
I quit drinking last year at 33 years old next month is one year. I didn’t do it because I had a drinking problem, I was drinking one pint of beer a week, if that and a six pack would last a month, if I even bought a six pack at that point.
It was just like all it did was make me angry, tired or an ass to be around and it was becoming a waste and I didn’t feel like it was doing anything for me and it was a fucking waste after a while.
I did have a few thoughts of I could take or leave it when I was depressed a few times and those were the worst because that means I was considering drinking more because I felt like shit and then I was like fuck this shit.
…
… Plus empty carbs and ngl, I like root beer more than alcoholic beer. I like coffee more than alcohol. I like weed more than alcohol. I Iike chocolate more than alcohol. I like biking more than alcohol. I like everything more than alcohol.
The only time a beer really hits the spot for me is after a hot day spent working outside. The first sip of a frothy cold beer is magic.
But even then that works just as well with non alcoholic beer
A can of Pepsi that’s in a cooler that’s been chilled for like two hours, those are crispyyyy.
It works better with non alcoholic beer, that’s why Athletic is out selling everything at Whole Foods.
If I get freedom, I would love to drink alcohol as a Gen Z.
Liquid Whatever.
Til a new word : imbibing - means drinking a liquid or, often informally, consuming alcoholic beverages.
Their body, their choice. Sure hope that’s okay with prohibitionists who want to rape their way of life on the rest of us.
Dont worry. When humanity wins the war in drugs, sober people will not be persecuted, incarcerated and forced to do drugs.
Drugs will become so much safer people might want to do drugs. For example there was this guy working on an alcohol replacement with (from what I remember) benzos analogs and he was working on increasing euphoria while decreasing physical dependence. Sounded like an interesting idea but he ran into a bunch of DEA/FDA hurdles. I have always wanted to try Coca tea, I have no desire to do cocaine mostly because it’s always cut nasty like and requires intranasal.
every generation pickles itself when the life gets rough. it makes it a smidge more tolerable
Only while you’re actively drunk, it makes it harder the rest of the time.
true. dts suck heh
Gen-X is drinking more? When did we drink less? :)
Well, let their liver receive the penance of their vote for Orange Palpatine.
Pssh. I’m drinking because others voted FOR Orange Palpatine!
That makes 2 of us. I’ve got a bottle of Laphroaig waiting for when it happens.
I thought Trump, like Hitler, was teetotal?
We’re hitting the age where we realised we’ve got another forty fucking years of this instead of dying at fifty like we hoped
Really wish alcohol could be banned, but I guess we tried that before…
Personally I absolutely love a drink, a couple of times a month. I’d rather they banned guns, but guess my European is showing 😂
Alcohol is not the problem, binge drinking is the problem.
I mean, there is no “safe” amount of alcohol. Every drop you drink increases your risk of cancer and a slew of other problems.
To be clear, I drink now and then, so I’m not preaching.
the same is said about barbeque - especially smoking. I’m not quitting anytime soon.
We live in a society that fears it’s own shadow so much, we excise all joy from life, then wonder why we’re depressed.
surreal times.
Are you against recreational drugs? Or just alcohol?
Both
Well, recreational drugs include alcohol but I see your stance.
Yeah. You can ferment with live yeast caught on the wind, alcohol is not at all trivial to eliminate from society.
Guess the current solution of not letting people accrue wealth has done wonders for alcoholism prevention groups
I guess. I think younger generations are just generally trending more LOHAS, and alcohol is kind of the new smoking, like when I was young that started to seem uncool and old-coded. And now that I’m a middle-aged drinker and sometime-brewer I know how those old farts felt when us youngsters started telling them that smoking sucks, kills you, stinks, doesn’t belong in polite society, etc.
It feels fine, actually. I accept it. I hope it stays uncool and a whole generation of people moves on to something healthier. Mushrooms and eating the rich, ideally but I’ll take it all in stride. I’m not ready to quit drinking, but like with eating meat I can at least see the antis have sense on their side and I wish them well.
One of my Gen-X friends was telling me how he started drinking more during COVID.
He said one day the supermarket cashier remarked “oh hey, are you throwing a party?”
And he said “nope, this is just my personal weekly alcohol consumption.”
Awkward!
