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.
Almost every society has created booze. It is human nature to self medicate.
No, it is human nature to desire clean water and thus almost every society has created booze.
edit fair enough, the downvotes have a point it is a bit of a misconception as a generalization
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.
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.
Alcohol fits the definition of poison more than it does medication.