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.
It’s also bad for the wallet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours.
By that definition, most of my drinking probably wouldn’t count as a binge. I might, over the course of a day hanging around camp or whatever, have a dozen or so drinks, but that’s spread out over almost as many hours.
I have seen other definitions that call any day you have more than 2 a binge, and by that definition, sure, I have an occasional binge, but I don’t know if I’m a fan of that definition, it feels like there’s too many variables with body weight and metabolism and such, and of course how quickly you’re drinking, there’s a big difference between a 300lb man killing a 6 pack over the course of a day and a 100lb woman pounding them one after another, so I like how the NIAAA definition ties it to BAC.
Found the cause of the fertility crisis
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
Why do you think Republicans regularly try to cut sex ed out of schools?
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
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
It’s literally toxic
It literally kills your liver
I’ll drink occasionally and eat an edible occasionally. Pretty much only socially. I don’t get the people who obsessively have to explain why what they’re using recreationally is actually healthy. Been around people like that since I was a pre-teen. About middle aged now and they’re all a bunch of burnouts including the sad they missed out in their teens/early 20s that decided to dive in late 20s because they watched all the YouTube videos on the benefits. All burned out. Not just alcohol and weed. All my acid, shrooms, ketamine, 2c-i, peyote, dmt, whatever friends - damn near all of them burned out and talk like teenagers in their 30s and 40s. Most generally don’t even they’re enlightened anymore and just want to chill with drugs
Moderation folks. Don’t make drugs your religion or personality and you won’t have early emotional burn out in life
Believe me, I was headed toward emotional burnout long before I discovered drugs.
Decrease in demand = lower prices
LFGG!
It hurts to drink.
