Alcohol and Drinking

Do you have occasion to use alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer, or are you a total abstainer?

	Yes, drink	No, total abstainer
	%	%
2008 Jul 10-13	62	38
2007 Jul 12-15	64	36
2006 Jul 6-9	64	36
2005 Jul 7-10	63	37
2004 Jul 8-11	62	38
2003 Jul 7-9	62	38
2002 Jul 9-11	66	34
2001 Jul 19-22	62	38
2000 Nov 13-15	64	36
1999 Sep 23-26	64	36
1997 Jun 26-29	61	39
1996 Jun 27-30	58	42
1994 Jun 3-6	65	35
1992 Jan 16-19	64	35
1990 Dec 6-9	57	43
1989 Sep 12-15	56	44
1989 Apr 4-9	62	38
1988 Jul 1-7	63	37
1988 Mar 8-12	62	38
1987 Jul 10-13	65	35
1987 Apr 10-13	63	37
1987 Mar 14-18	65	35
1985 Feb 15-18	67	33
1984 Sep 6-9	64	36
1984 Jul 6-9	64	36
1983 Mar 11-14	65	35
1982 Aug 13-16	65	35
1981 Jan 9-12	70	30
1979 May 4-7	69	31
1978 Nov 10-13	66	34
1978 Apr 21-24	71	29
1977 Jan 14-17	71	29
1976	71	29
1974 May 10-13	68	32
1969 Jan 1-6	64	36
1969 Feb 22-27	63	37
1966 Jan 21-26	65	35
1964	63	37
1960 Mar 30-Apr 4	62	38
1959 Dec 10-15	61	39
1958 Jan 24-29	55	45
1957 Mar 15-20	58	42
1956 Jan 6-11	60	40
1952 Dec 11-16	60	40
1951 Aug 26-31	59	41
1950 Jun 4-9	60	40
1949 Dec 1-6	58	42
1947 Oct 3-8	63	37
1946 Jul 26-31	67	33
1945 Nov 23-28	67	33
1939	58	42

When did you last take a drink of any kind of alcoholic beverage?

[BASED ON ADULTS WHO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES]

	24 hours	Over 1 day to week ago	Over 1 week ago	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
2008 Jul 10-13	36	32	32	1
2007 Jul 12-15	36	29	36	*
2006 Jul 6-9	36	35	29	*
2005 Jul 7-10	36	31	32	1
2004 Jul 8-11	33	38	29	*
2003 Jul 7-9	31	40	29	*
2002 Jul 9-11	28	38	34	*
2001 Jul 19-22	30	32	38	*
200 Nov 13-15	26	32	42	*
1999 Sep 23-26	35	25	39	1
1997 Jun 26-29	33	25	42	*
1996 Jun 27-30	28	26	45	1
1994 Jun 3-6	34	23	42	1
1992 Jan 16-19	26	24	49	1
1990 Dec 6-9	29	23	47	1
1989 Sep 12-15	32	35	32	1
1988 Jul 1-7	39	25	34	2
1987 Jul 10-13	38	30	31	1
1984 Jul 6-9	39	29	31	1
* Less than 0.5%

Approximately how many drinks of any kind of alcoholic beverages did you drink in the past SEVEN days?

[BASED ON ADULTS WHO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES]

	0	1-7	8-19	20+	Don't know	*Mean*	*Median*
	%	%	%	%	%
2008 Jul 10-13	34	53	9	3	2	3.8	2
2007 Jul 12-15	37	48	9	5	1	4.8	2
2006 Jul 6-9	30	53	11	5	*	4.5	2
2005 Jul 7-10	34	49	11	5	1	4.3	2
2004 Jul 8-11	31	55	8	5	1	4.9	2
2003 Jul 7-9	30	50	12	6	2	5.1	2
2002 Jul 9-11	34	50	9	5	2	4.4	2
2001 Jul 19-22	39	48	9	4	*	3.4	1
2000 Nov 13-15	43	46	8	3	*	3.3	1
1999 Sep 23-26	40	47	8	4	*	3.7	2
1997 Jun 26-29	41	45	8	5	1	3.6	1
1996 Jun 27-30	47	42	7	2	2	2.8	1
1994 Jun 3-6	44	42	10	3	1	--	--
1992 Jan 16-19	51	36	10	2	1	--	--
1990 Dec 6-9	50	40	6	3	1	--	--
1989 Sep 12-15	33	47	13	5	2	--	--
1988 Jul 1-7	32	49	10	6	3	--	--
1987 Jul 10-13	29	50	11	6	4	--	--
* Less than 0.5%

Do you most often drink liquor, wine, or beer?

[BASED ON ADULTS WHO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES]

	Liquor	Wine	Beer	All/ Same (vol.)	Other (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%	%
2008 Jul 10-13	23	31	42	4	*	*
2007 Jul 12-15	22	34	40	4	*	*
2006 Jul 6-9	23	33	41	3	--	*
2005 Jul 7-10	21	39	36	3	*	1
2004 Jul 8-11	24	33	39	4	*	*
2003 Jul 7-9	22	33	42	3	*	*
2002 Jul 9-11	22	30	44	3	1	*
2001 Jul 19-22	18	31	46	4	*	1
2000 Nov 13-15	22	31	43	3	0	1
1999 Sep 23-26	19	34	42	4	*	1
1997 Jun 26-29	18	32	45	4	*	1
1996 Jul 25-28	20	27	46	6	0	1
1994 Jun 3-6	18	29	47	3	1	2
1992 Jan 16-19	21	27	47	3	1	1

Do you sometimes drink more alcoholic beverages than you think you should?

[BASED ON ADULTS WHO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES]

	Yes	No	No opinion
	%	%	%
2008 Jul 10-13	23	77	--
2007 Jul 12-15	22	77	*
2006 Jul 6-9	22	78	*
2005 Jul 7-10	21	79	--
2004 Jul 8-11	25	75	*
2003 Jul 7-9	24	76	*
2002 Jul 9-11	21	79	*
2001 Jul 19-22	20	80	*
2000 Nov 13-15	26	74	*
1999 Sep 23-26	24	76	*
1997 Jun 26-29	22	78	*
1996 Jul 25-28	25	75	*
1994 Jun 3-6	29	71	0
1992 Jan 16-19	29	71	--
1990 Dec 6-9	23	76	1
1989 Sep 12-15	35	65	--
1987 Jul 1-7	29	71	--
1985 Feb 15-18	32	68	--
1978 Nov 10-13	23	77	--
* Less than 0.5%

Has drinking ever been a cause of trouble in your family?

	Yes	No	No answer
	%	%	%
2008 Jul 10-13	30	70	*
2007 Jul 12-15	35	65	*
2006 Jul 6-9	29	71	*
2005 Jul 7-10	29	71	*
2004 Jul 8-11	37	63	--
2003 Jul 7-9	31	69	*
2002 Jul 9-11	28	72	*
2001 Jul 19-22	36	64	*
2000 Nov 13-15	36	64	*
1999 Sep 23-26	36	64	*
1997 Jun 26-29	30	70	*
1996 Jun 27-30	23	77	*
1994 Jun 3-6	27	72	1
1992 Jan 16-19	24	76	--
1990 Dec 6-9	23	76	1
1989 Sep 12-15	19	81	--
1987 Mar 14-18	24	76	--
1985 Feb 15-18	21	79	--
1984 Jul 6-9	18	82	--
1981	22	78	--
1978	22	78	--
1976	17	83	--
1974	12	88	--
1966	12	88	--
1947	15	85	--
* Less than 0.5%

How often, if ever, do you drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer -- every day, a few times a week, about once a week, less than once a week, only on special occasions such as New Years' and holidays, or never?

	Every day	A few times a week	About once a week	Less than once a week	Only on special occasions	Never	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
2007 Nov 11-14	7	13	10	9	29	33	*
2006 Nov 9-12	10	13	11	9	27	30	*
2005 Nov 7-10	5	14	11	10	29	31	*
2004 Nov 7-10	7	13	13	10	25	32	*
2003 Nov 3-5	7	16	13	12	25	27	*
2001 Nov 8-11	7	12	13	14	24	30	*
* Less than 0.5%

Do you, personally, think drinking in moderation -- that is, one or two drinks a day -- [ROTATED: is good for your health, makes no difference, or is bad for your health]?

	Good for health	Makes no difference	Bad for health	No opinion
2007 Jul 12-15	22%	49	25	4
2005 Jul 7-10	25%	51	22	2
2003 Jul 7-9	24%	49	25	2
2001 Jul 19-22	22%	46	27	5

(Asked of a half sample) Would you favor or oppose a federal law that would lower the drinking age in all states to 18?

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
2007 Jul 12-15	22%	77	1
2001 Jul 19-22	21%	77	2

(Asked of a half sample) Do you think the penalties for underage age drinking should be made more strict, less strict, or remain as they are now?