Fewer Americans are reporting that they drink alcohol amid a growing belief that even moderate alcohol consumption is a health risk, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

The survey finds that 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer — “the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend,” the analytics company says.

And a record high percentage of U.S. adults, 53%, now say moderate drinking is bad for their health, up from 28% in 2015. The uptick in doubt about alcohol’s benefits is largely driven by young adults — the age group that is most likely to believe drinking “one or two drinks a day” can cause health hazards — but older adults are also now increasingly likely to think moderate drinking carries risks.

    • cattywampas@midwest.social
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      15 hours ago

      It is largely a myth that people have produced alcoholic beverages for lack of clean water. People have always known how to find fresh water, and have always enjoyed catching a buzz. Even wild animals do it.

      • stringere@sh.itjust.works
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        12 hours ago

        Just ask the Koalas!

        Had a friend that grew up in Australia and said it wasn’t unusual to see a koala fall out of a tree, drunk.