Americans are drinking less than they did during the height of the pandemic, but overall alcohol use remains higher than it was before 2020, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The decline in drinking rates—about 1%—is modest but notable after a sharp rise in heavy alcohol use during the pandemic. Senior study author Dr. Brian P. Lee, a liver transplant doctor at Keck Medicine of USC, said the changes in drinking habits have not been uniform across all age groups or genders. The study analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over four years: 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. From 2022 to 2024, both heavy and occasional drinking declined among Gen Z and millennials. However, drinking increased among people aged 50 to 64. Men showed a larger overall decline in drinking than women—2.4% versus 1.1%—but the drop in heavy drinking was more pronounced among women, with a 9% decrease compared to 7.7% among men. The study defined heavy drinking as five or more drinks per day or 15 or more per week for men, and four drinks per day or eight per week for women. Gen Z adults saw the largest decrease in drinking from 2022 to 2024—more than 5%—while millennials experienced the biggest drop in heavy drinking, a 17% decline. However, for both groups, the rates of drinking and heavy drinking remained slightly above 2018 levels. In contrast, heavy drinking among those aged 50 to 64 has steadily increased since 2018. In 2024, about 2% more people in this age group reported heavy drinking compared to 2022, and the number has grown by more than one-third since 2018—equating to over a million people in that age group. Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor of public health at Tufts University, emphasized that people in their 50s and 60s who are heavy drinkers have likely been consuming alcohol for many years, increasing their risk of serious health issues. He said the lack of a decline in heavy drinking trends is concerning. The study also highlights the health risks of alcohol, which include high blood pressure, stroke, digestive problems, and liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease is now the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S., and alcohol-related cancer deaths have more than doubled in the past 30 years. As people age, their bodies become more vulnerable to the harmful effects of alcohol.