Drinking

Alcohol & America

August 2, 2007

Beer, wine, or liquor? The Gallup Poll updates its annual poll on American drinking habits.

U.S. Drinkers Consuming Alcohol More Regularly

Beer regains slight edge over wine as preferred drink

July 31, 2006

Gallup finds the percentage of Americans who consume alcohol holding steady, but compared with a decade ago, U.S. drinkers are drinking more frequently and drinking more drinks each week. Drinkers are now slightly more likely to report that beer is their beverage of choice rather than wine or liquor, a return to the typical pattern of recent years following last year's update, which showed beer and wine in a statistical tie.More ...

Drugs, Smoking, Alcohol Most Important Problem Facing Teens

Younger teens mention drugs, alcohol much more frequently than older teens

February 17, 2006

A recent Gallup Youth Survey finds consumption of drugs, smoking, and alcohol as the most important problem facing teenagers in the country today. Younger teenagers are more likely to say drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, and violence are the top problems, while older teenagers are more inclined to mention education and youth apathy.More ...

Britons Outdrink Canadians, Americans

More imbibers among men than women

February 6, 2006

Americans have a long way to go if they want to catch up with Britons in alcohol consumption, though not too far to catch up with Canadians. Women drink substantially less often than men in all three countries. Age differences are minimal in Great Britain and the United States, but substantial in Canada.More ...

Teen Survey: What's the Responsible Age for Smoking, Drinking, Sex?

Forty-one percent say people ready to drink at an age younger than 21

August 2, 2005

Millions are spent each year to warn American teens about the potential risks of drinking alcohol, smoking, and being sexually active. These issues are also top-of-mind worries for countless parents. At what age do teens think they are capable of engaging in these activities responsibly? According to a recent Gallup Youth Survey, most teens seem to be taking a few of these warnings to heart.More ...

Fewer Young Adults Drinking to Excess

No change in reported overindulgence among older Americans

July 22, 2005

Gallup finds that 21% of drinkers -- equivalent to 13% of all adult Americans -- admit that they sometimes drink too much. This is down from the early 1990s, particularly among young adults. However, similar to the steady rate of alcohol-related highway fatalities since 1994, the percentage saying they sometimes drink too much has changed relatively little in recent years. Three in 10 Americans report that alcohol has been the source of trouble within their own families. This figure is higher than it was a decade ago, and significantly higher than in the 1970s.More ...

Wine Gains Momentum as Americans' Favorite Adult Beverage

Special analysis shows different shifts in drinking preferences by age

July 18, 2005

For the first time in more than a decade of Gallup polling, there is a statistical tie between wine and beer as the alcoholic beverage adult drinkers say they drink most often. One might assume that beer drinkers have merely switched over to wine. But a close review of the data suggests a more complicated shift in drinking patterns. One demographic group previously dominated by beer drinkers is showing increased interest in liquor, while another is switching from beer to wine. The biggest story to be found in these changes is among young adults.More ...