Drinking in America is on the rise, according to a survey on alcohol consumption by the Gallup organization.
According to a July survey, 66 percent of Americans said they drink liquor, wine or beer at least on occasion.
That is up 4 percent from a similar survey last year and the highest percentage since 67 percent in February 1985.
Just over a third – 34 percent – in the current poll described themselves as “total abstainers” from alcohol, compared to 38 percent last July.
More than one fourth of male drinkers – 28 percent – admitted that they sometimes drink too much, as did 32 percent of younger drinkers, those under 30. While a smaller percentage of women said they over drink – 13 percent – women were more likely than males to say that alcohol has ever been a cause of trouble in their family (31 percent of women, compared to 25 percent of men).
Gallup said there do not appear to be any clear, consistent patterns to explain the variation in the number of admitted drinkers, which has ranked from a low of 55 percent in 1958 to a high of 71 percent in 1976-1978.
(ABP)
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