Decades ago, Americans were told that drinking in moderation was
healthy. Then moral and medical leaders noted that alcohol has many
ill effects, and we were warned alcohol was bad for us. Later,
researchers noticed that the French live on butter and wine, and
have a much lower rate of heart disease. Next thing you know, a
little red wine is good for us.
A couple of weeks ago, a Harvard School of Public Health study
reported that one or two drinks a day -- of any kind of alcohol --
can reduce heart disease among men by as much as 37%. Aggregated
results from Gallup surveys conducted from 2000 to 2002* show that
of the 64% of Americans who drink, most consume far less than the
quantity recommended by this study. And when Gallup asks Americans
what type of alcohol they prefer -- beer, wine, or liquor -- beer
usually wins out.
Chug-a-lug
The finding that red wine isn't the only beneficial form of
alcohol is good news to beer drinkers. Of those Americans who say
they imbibe, 44% say they drink beer most often, 31% say wine, and
21% say hard liquor.
The data show that most Americans who drink alcohol consume
relatively little -- 18% say they have two drinks a week, 16% have
one, 11% have three, and 10% have four. Seventeen percent of U.S.
drinkers consume somewhere between 7 and 14 drinks per week -- the
amount recommended in the Harvard study.
Are Wine Drinkers Healthier?
Now that all types of alcohol are said to be healthy in
moderation (as opposed to just red wine), wine makers have to share
the "healthy drinking" market with brewers and liquor distillers.
More bad news for wine marketers: wine drinkers' self-reported
health status is no better than any other drinkers'. Eighty-four
percent of those who drink beer most often say their health is good
or excellent, as do 84% of wine drinkers and 78% of liquor
drinkers**.
However, Gallup results suggest that wine drinkers are less
likely than beer and liquor drinkers to engage in at least one
high-risk health behavior: smoking. According to the 2002 poll,
only 11% of drinkers who prefer wine report having smoked
cigarettes in the past week. This compares to 31% of both beer and
liquor drinkers.
The Aging Process
Different age groups enjoy different types of alcohol, and beer
is definitely dominant among the younger generations. Fifty-two
percent of 18- to 29-year-olds most often drink beer, 21% drink
wine and 20% drink liquor. (Although alcohol consumption is usually
illegal in America for anyone under 21, Gallup's surveys include
adults 18 and older.) Among 30- to 49-year-olds, 53% drink beer
most often, 26% choose wine, and 16% drink liquor. The gap between
beer and wine closes among 50- to 64-year-olds -- 42% drink beer
most often, 37% drink wine, and 16% choose liquor. Wine surpasses
beer only among those 65 and older -- 45% of whom prefer wine, 24%
prefer liquor, and 22% prefer beer.
Bottom Line
Many healthcare professionals are concerned about the
consequences of the Harvard study. Some people, particularly those
who already have problems with alcoholism, may consider the news
license to drink. But the fact is that most Americans drink in
moderation, and they can't be blamed for feeling happy that
something that many used to consider a guilty pleasure is actually
beneficial to one's health. Those who enjoy a glass of wine with
dinner, a cocktail in the evening, or a beer during a football game
can be comforted by the fact that they are drinking to their
heart's content.
*Data are taken from an aggregate of Gallup Polls conducted July
9-11, 2002, July 19-22, 2001, and Nov. 13-15, 2000, consisting of
3,070 adults, aged 18 and older. For the combined sample of
national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum
margin of sampling error is ±2%.
**Results are based on telephone interviews with 673 national
adults, aged 18 and older, who drink alcoholic beverages, conducted
July 9-11, 2002. For results based on the total sample of national
adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of
sampling error is ±4%.
