36% Americans Don't Drink At All

More Than a Third of Americans Report Drinking Has Caused Family Problems

The good news is that 36% American don't drink at all. Over a third of Americans report that drinking has been a cause of trouble in their family, the highest percentage in response to this question in the more than 50 years it has been asked. About two-thirds of Americans are drinkers, and of these, about one-fourth say they sometimes drink more than they should. Fifteen percent of drinkers report having made a serious effort to stop drinking.

The percentage of the American population drinking alcoholic beverages has fluctuated greatly over the past 60 years, ranging between 55% and 71%. In Gallup Poll's most recent survey on this issue, conducted September 23-26, 1999, 64% of the adult population said they had taken an opportunity to drink.

Those most likely to drink include men, those with higher incomes, Americans under age 65, those who don't attend church regularly, those living in regions of the country other than the South, and self-identified liberals.

At the same time, a significant minority of American drinkers report behaviors that might suggest a problem: 24% say they sometimes drink more alcohol than they think they should, and 15% say they have at some time made a serious effort to stop drinking (and apparently failed).

http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr991103.asp