62% Of Americans Drink An Alcoholic Beverage

 

The charts above are from a Gallup Poll -- done between July 3rd and 27th of a nationwide sample of 1,013 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

63% Of U.S. Adults Consume Alcoholic Beverages

 

These charts are from the Gallup Poll.

Results for this Gallup poll are based on combined data from Gallup surveys conducted by telephone in July 2021 and July 2022. For results based on the total sample of 2,020 national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. 

A New Use For Psilocybin?

 

Over 70% Say Alcohol Bad For People/Society - 67% Drink It

 These charts are from a Gallup Poll -- done between July 5th and 26th of a nationwide sample of 1,013 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.

Alcohol Use In U.S. Actually Dropped During The Pandemic

The Gallup Poll did their annual survey on alcohol use in the United States. One might have thought that because of the pandemic, the use of alcohol might rise, but exactly the opposite happened -- it dropped by 5 points, from 65% of Americans to 60%.

The survey was done between July 6th and 21st of a national sample of 1,007 adults, and had a 5 point margin of error.

Beer Is Still The Favorite Alcoholic Drink In The U.S.

The Gallup Poll recently completed their yearly survey of the drinking habits of Americans. They found that 63% of the population drinks alcoholic beverages, while 36% do not. Of that 63%, beer is the favorite drink (42%), followed by wine (34%) and liquor (19%).

The survey was done between July 1st and 11th of a national sample of 1,033 adults, and has a 4 point margin of error.

64% Of Americans Drink Either Beer, Wine, Or Liquor

The Gallup Poll has released its latest survey on alcohol use in the United States. The survey was done between July 8th and 12th of a random national sample of 1,009 adults, and has a margin of error of 4 points.

It should come as no surprise that beer remains the most popular alcoholic drink of those who use alcohol in this country. Beer is the choice of 42% of drinkers, while wine is second with 34%, and liquor has 21%.

What did somewhat surprise me are the groups that do the most drinking. I had assumed that urban-dwellers, young people, Southerners, those with the least income, and those with the least education would be the groups with the highest percentage of drinkers. I was wrong. That is just the opposite of the truth. (see bottom chart).

It turns out that those living in an urban area actually drink less than those in either suburbia or in a rural area -- and those with the most education and the highest income drink significantly more than those with the least education and income. Southerners drink less than those in any other region, and young people (18 to 29) drink less than those aged 30 to 64.

It also turns out that a significant majority (64%) of Americans drink alcohol. In fact only one group had less than 52% alcohol usage --those making less than $30,000 a year (with only 45% alcohol usage). Also interesting is that Whites drink a lot more than Nonwhites (69% to 52%), and married people drink more than those unmarried (70% to 58%). Not surprising, at least to me, is that men drink more than women (69% to 59%).

Marijuana Users Do NOT Pose A Safety Risk When Driving

A few years ago, California voted on whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana -- and the measure failed in a close vote. One of the most effective campaigns against legalization in that state was the claim that drivers who had used marijuana would pose a significant risk on the roads and highways -- a risk similar to that of alcohol users.

It was a lie. As I have posted before, several studies have shown that marijuana users don't pose anymore danger than those who have used no drug (including alcohol) at all. Those studies were all done in Canada, Australia, and Europe, because the U.S. government didn't want any studies done that would expose their decades of lies about marijuana.

But with four states already legalizing the gentle herb, and a growing number of Americans who believe it should be legalized, a study has finally been done in the United States -- a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation). And it comes as no surprise to me that the study verifies what those other studies have shown -- that drivers using marijuana pose no safety risk of causing crashes on our roads.

The results of their study are shown in the chart above. Note that even small amounts of alcohol usage will heighten the danger of a crash with alcohol. Even legal amounts can drive the rich up. The base for the study is 1.00 (the risk posed by non-users of any drug). A person with a .03 blood alcohol content has slightly elevated risk of 1.17, while a person with .05 (within the legal limit) has a risk of 2.05 (double the risk of non-users), and the risk continues to rise as the amount of alcohol used rises.

It's far different for marijuana though. The study showed those users posed no more danger that non-users. I'm sure those opposing the legalizing of marijuana will continue their false claim to scare voters (because too many are making too much money off keeping it illegal). But remember, they are LYING.

Most Americans Drink Alcohol - At Least Occasionally

I'm not too sure this has anything to do with politics -- unless you think the voters were drunk last Tuesday, or you are afraid the non-drinkers will try again to impose an alcohol prohibition on this nation. I wish the first was true, because then we would at least have an excuse for the idiotic decisions many voters made on election day. And I doubt the second could ever happen again. I just found it interesting, and thought you might also.

It turns out that around 64% of all Americans drink alcohol -- some daily and others only occasionally. The charts above show the figures. The chart below shows the alcoholic beverage the drinkers prefer when they do choose to imbibe. About equal numbers prefer beer and wine (and the two will switch places between being first and second most popular according to the year and the poll). Liquor is the choice of about 1/4 of drinkers.

The charts above and the chart below were all taken from a Rasmussen Poll conducted on November 5th and 6th of a random national sample of 1,000 adults, and has a margin of error of about 3 points.

Most Americans Oppose Lowering The Drinking Age To 18

I need to say up front that I believe the drinking age (for alcohol) should be lowered to 18 years of age. I just think that all adults should be treated equally, and if you are old enough to put your life in danger by serving in the military, vote in elections, create individually-responsible debt (including college debt), get married in all states, and be considered an adult in criminal courts -- then you should be able to purchase and drink alcohol. And if 18 to 20 year-olds aren't mature enough to drink alcohol, then I have to question whether they are mature enough for the other things I listed above.

But I seem to be in a small minority with that view. Only 25% of Americans agree with me, while a whopping 74% say the drinking age should be kept at age 21. And this huge opposition extends across all demographic groups (sex, age, race, education, and political preference). It even extends to all four regions of the country -- South (75%), East (75%), Midwest (75%), and West (72%). Judging by these results, this is not something that is going to change anytime soon. Americans seem content to grant 18 to 20 year-olds only a second-class sort of citizenship.

The chart above was made with information contained in a recent Gallup Poll. The survey was done between July 7th and 10th of a random national sample of 1,013 adults, and has a margin of error of about 4 points.

Gallup Releases Its Latest Survey On U.S. Alcohol Use

(This image is from alternativereel.com.)

The use of alcohol is as old as civilization itself, and the United Staes is no exception. The drink of choice has changed over time, but alcohol has existed in this country in some form since before its birth.

Each year the Gallup Poll does a survey on alcohol use in the United States -- both on the prevalence of alcohol use and the favorite drink through which that alcohol is imbibed. This year's Gallup Poll was conducted between July 7th and 10th of a random national sample of 1,013 adults, with a 4 point margin of error. The results of the survey for this year -- and for the 15 years in this century are illustrated by the two charts below.

One thing I found a bit surprising is that alcohol use by Americans has remained fairly constant throughout the last 15 years (the years of the 21st Century). I had thought that alcohol use might have gone up significantly because of the recession (to dull the pain caused by the terrible economy) or gone down (because of the lack of money with which to buy it). But that is not what happened. Alcohol use fluctuated between 60% and 67% -- a pretty narrow margin.

And beer is again gaining in popularity. In two of the last three years, beer was only one percentage point more popular than wine (and only four points higher in that other year). But 2014 has seen beer rebound -- and post a 10 point advantage over wine. Liquor is still a fairly distant third, and its use by alcohol users has remained pretty constant in this century (in the low 20's).

Another Republican Hypocrite

The picture above is the police mug shot of Mike Crapo. Mr. Crapo is a Republican United States Senator from the state of Idaho and is currently serving his third term in the Senate. He is also a mormon, and has told the voters in his state that he is does not drink alcohol. But that last part is a lie.

Early Sunday morning in Alexandria (Virginia), Mr. Crapo was stopped by police for running a red light. He seemed to be intoxicated so they gave him several field sobriety tests, which he failed. He was then arrested for DUI, and a blood test showed he had alcohol in his system above the legal limit for driving a vehicle (testing .110 when the legal limit is .08). Crapo issued the following apology:

“I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance. I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter."


I'm not sure the Crapo understands the most serious aspect of this incident. He has apologized for his drinking and driving, but the drinking is not the worst thing he has done (although I would prefer he not endanger his fellow citizens by driving after he does it). There are lots of Americans who drink, including U.S. senators -- and that is their right (as long as they do it responsibly).

But Crapo is not just a drinker. He is a liar and a hypocrite, because he has told the voters of his state that he does not drink. To me, that means he is willing to say whatever he thinks the voters want to hear (whether it is true or not). And it makes me wonder what else he has lied about. Can he be trusted on policy issues, if he is willing to lie about his own religious and moral convictions?

Alcohol And Marijuana

This graphic (found on the blog of Yellowdog Granny) sums up pretty well the idiocy of our drug laws. Our "leaders" tell us those laws are in place to protect the American people and keep them safe. But if that's even remotely true, then how is a drug that kills many thousands of people every year through overdoses (alcohol) legal, while a drug that is so safe that not a single case of an overdose death has ever been reported is illegal. Doesn't that seem backwards?

The truth is that our ridiculous marijuana laws are not now (nor have they ever been) in place to protect the public. They were originally put into effect as a tool to control minorities and social activists -- and that is still there purpose. Alcohol could have been used the same way, but it happens to be the drug of choice of the ruling elite.

It's time to legalize the gentle herb known as marijuana, and then regulate it (similar to how alcohol is regulated) and tax it heavily. That would not only make much more sense than current law, but it would also create many new jobs and provide for a lot of new government revenue -- both of which are badly needed right now.

Alcoholic Drinks Preferred By Americans

Since 1992 the folks over at the Gallup Poll have been surveying American adults on their preferences among alcoholic drinks. Traditionally, beer is the big winner. In 1992, 47% of respondents listed beer as their favorite alcoholic drink, with wine coming in second at 27% and liquor finishing third at 21%.

But beer has been trending downward since that time, and wine has been trending upward (with liquor pretty much staying the same in the low 20 percent range). And the latest Gallup Poll survey (Taken between July 7th and July 10th of 1,016 randomly chosen adults nationwide) shows that wine and beer are now in a dead heat for first place. About 36% now say beer is their preferred drink while 35% list wine as their favorite. Around 23% favor liquor.

The interesting part is the demographic breakdown. Beer remains a heavy favorite among men, among people making less than $30,000 a year, and among those with a high school diploma or less. Beer is also a prohibitive favorite in the Midwest. In other parts of the country and among other groups wine has made some serious inroads. Here is the demographic breakdown:

MALE
beer..........48%
wine..........20%
liquor..........26%

FEMALE
beer..........22%
wine..........51%
liquor..........21%

18 TO 34
beer..........39%
wine..........25%
liquor..........30%

35 TO 54
beer..........41%
wine..........31%
liquor..........23%

55 AND OVER
beer..........27%
wine..........47%
liquor..........19%

WHITE
beer..........38%
wine..........36%
liquor..........20%

NONWHITE
beer..........27%
wine..........33%
liquor..........33%

$30,000 AND UNDER
beer..........51%
wine..........16%
liquor..........25%

$30,001 TO $74,999
beer..........33%
wine..........38%
liquor..........24%

$75,000 AND OVER
beer..........30%
wine..........43%
liquor..........21%

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR LESS
beer..........44%
wine..........30%
liquor..........21%

SOME COLLEGE
beer..........33%
wine..........32%
liquor..........29%

COLLEGE GRADUATE
beer..........29%
wine..........42%
liquor..........21%

EAST
beer..........37%
wine..........40%
liquor..........17%

MIDWEST
beer..........46%
wine..........31%
liquor..........17%

SOUTH
beer..........29%
wine..........34%
liquor..........28%

WEST
beer..........31%
wine..........35%
liquor..........29%

Two-Thirds Of Americans Drink Alcohol

Did you ever wonder why there is such a proliferation of places to buy alcohol? Even in areas where the sale of alcohol is illegal, you can be sure there will be somewhere close to buy it (or an easily accessible black market). Gallup's recent poll provides us with the answer -- according to the survey two-thirds of all Americans (67%) drink beer, wine or hard liquor.

This number has gone up 3% since the start of the current recession in 2007, when it was 64%. But this is still not an all-time high. Back in 1976 through 1978 the percentage of drinkers was at 71% (which is the largest percentage since Gallup started polling on this question back in 1939).

All age groups and education levels show a majority of those who drink alcohol, and even regular church-goers show a majority of drinkers. Here are those numbers:

18 to 34..........72%

35 to 54..........72%

55 and older..........59%

Postgraduate education..........74%

College graduate..........79%

Some college..........70%

High school or less..........58%

Attend church weekly..........54%

Attend church at least monthly..........64%

Attend church seldom or never..........75%

The biggest surprise for me was the relationship between the amount of money a person makes and the likelihood they are a drinker. The survey clearly shows that the more money a person makes, the more likely they are to drink some form of alcohol. I would have figured the lowest paid would have a high percentage of drinkers (to try and forget their misfortune), but those who make less than $20,000 are actually the only group not to have a majority of drinkers. Maybe it's because they just can't afford it. Here are the numbers broken down by income level:

Over $75,000..........81%

$50,000 to $74,999..........78%

$30,000 to $49,999..........66%

$20,000 to $29,999..........51%

under $20,000..........46%

The survey shows that beer is definitely the most popular alcoholic drink (41%), while wine is second (32%) and hard liquor is third (21%). Among men, beer is the winner at 54% while wine comes in at 17%. That is just the opposite for women, who prefer wine at 48% to beer at 27%. Both groups have about the same percentage of those who drink hard liquor at 21-22%.

Is it any wonder that prohibition was a miserable failure?

Rip Torn Is Guilty

Let me preface my remarks by saying I think Rip Torn is a great actor, and he has left a lasting legacy in the movie industry. In fact, I like him so much that I will watch a bad movie just because I know he's in it. But being a great actor, even one with a distinguished career, should not be a defense in a criminal trial.

In January, the 79 year-old Torn was arrested inside a Connecticut bank hours after the bank had closed. He was stinking drunk and was in possession of a gun for which he did not have a permit. He was taken to jail and released on $100,000 bond (with the stipulation that he not drink any alcohol). Supposedly, he was so drunk that he thought he had broken into his own home.

Since then, he has been going to "rehabilitation" -- first in an inpatient program, and now on an outpatient basis (probably on the advice of his attorney). I imagine the attorney is planning to try to get him off using his alcoholism as an excuse. Personally, I'm sick of actors, athletes and other celebrities getting away with crimes by doing a little "rehabilitation", just because they're rich enough to hire a top-notch attorney.

Torn says, "I'm not a bank robber." Well, he's not accused of that. He has been charged with Burglary, Criminal Mischief, Criminal Trespass, Carrying a Gun Without a Permit, and Carrying a Gun While Intoxicated. The conditions surrounding his arrest show he is clearly guilty of all of those charges.

Neither his career, his age, his being drunk nor his attendance at rehabilitation are valid excuses for the crimes he committed. They wouldn't excuse these crimes if a poor person had done them, and therefore they shouldn't excuse the actions of someone rich and famous. In fact, these crimes make even less sense when done by someone rich -- because the rich can afford a driver, aide or bodyguard to keep them from screwing up like this.

Mr. Torn has pled not guilty and is due back in court on April 27th. He is guilty and should be punished for what he did. And I think that punishment should involve at least some jail time, because that's what would happen to someone without his money and fame.

Drinking Keeps Women Slim ?

These days many women (and men) are obsessed with their weight, and will try diet after diet and starve themselves to look like the skinny models on television. That's because we live in a somewhat schizophrenic country. While we have more food (and types of food) available than any country in history, and happily indulge in that abundance, we have let Madison Avenue and Hollywood define beauty for us.

While some African nations in which food can be a scarcity, see large women as beautiful, we do just the opposite. We eat our way to being overweight, and then view skinny as being beautiful. Common sense would say neither view makes sense.

Be that as it may, it looks like there may be a way to remain slim into mid-life that we haven't been considering (at least for women). A new study has shown that women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol (15 to 30 grams a day or one to two drinks) were 30% less likely to be overweight when they reach middle age. They were unable to judge heavy drinkers because there were not enough in the study to produce significant results.

The study was done by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. They studied data gathered from 19,220 women enrolled in their long-running Women's Health Study, and covered an average of 13 years. The study showed statistically significant results for all types of alcohol, but the best results were from red wine.

Sadly, men do not show the same effect (hence the "beer belly"). The researchers say this is because women burn up more calories after drinking than men do. As an overweight man, I have to think that is just unfair! [:-)]

Researchers warned against using alcohol as a dietary aid, and listed several other possible reasons for the results (other than the faster calorie burning). Women in the study who drank alcohol consumed fewer calories from other foods, were more likely to smoke, were more physically active, had lower body mass indexes at the study's start and had less healthful diets.

Like the researchers, I am not suggesting that women should all go out and become drinkers. Drinking alcohol, especially in large quantities, can have other deleterious health effects. I just found the study to be interesting, and thought you might also.

Strongest Beer In The World

The Scottish brewery, BrewDog, had already produced a beer with an 18.2% alcohol content (called Tokyo), that had earned it the ire of anti-alcohol forces worldwide. That's more than twice the alcohol content of most beers, ales and malt liquors.

So you can imagine what the teetotalers think about BrewDog's newest product. Their new beer, called Tactical Nuclear Penguin, has an alcohol content of 32%. I wouldn't suggest trying to down a six-pack of this new beer (and a twelve-pack would be totally out of the question).

The 32% alcohol beer is in the class of hard liquor. Many whiskies and other hard liquors only have about a 40% alcohol content. The beer's label warning says, "This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost."

BrewDog's managing director, James Watt (pictured above), says, "This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level." The brewery is planning on selling a limited supply of the beer for about 30Pounds each. That's about $40 to $50 dollars depending on the exchange rate. I think the price alone would limit it's intake.

Personally, if I want something that strong I'll stick to tequila, but it is interesting that a beer could be brewed with that kind of alcohol content.

Does Rick Perry Even Have A Moral Compass ?

After this latest entry in ethically-challenged politics, I really believe that when it comes to his political career, Rick Perry simply does not see any right or wrong. Anything is OK as long as it results in dollars being funneled into his campaign coffers. How else could this story be explained?

Governor Rick Perry told a group of San Antonio realtors that he saw nothing wrong with the chairman of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), Jose Cuevas, Jr. (pictured), soliciting campaign donations for Perry's reelection. After all Perry said, the people donated the money "for no other reason than they think I'm the best person for the job."

If Cuevas had just been soliciting donations from his friends and neighbors, I would have to agree with Perry that there is nothing wrong with it. But that is not what was happening, and Perry knows it.

Cuevas was soliciting donations of $5000 and above from Texas restaurants. The same restaurants who serve alcohol and are subject to the awesome power of Cuevas' agency -- the TABC. They must be licensed by the TABC, and the agency has the power to fine the restaurants thousands of dollars or even close them down completely.

When the chairman of an agency with that much power over your business asks for a donation, how do you turn him down? Even if he didn't say so, there would be the fear or perception that the business could start having TABC problems if it upset the TABC chairman by refusing to donate.

I find it hard to believe that neither Cuevas nor Perry can see the ethical problems here. It is simply wrong for a government agent to solicit funds for any person or cause from those over whom his agency has power. Period. It doesn't matter that he did it as a private citizen instead of as an agency chairman. He's still the agency chairman and the perception by donors that the agency's power could be used against them is implied.

Let me give an example of this. Before my retirement, I was a juvenile parole officer working for the state of Texas. There would be nothing wrong with my soliciting funds for a candidate or cause while I was employed by the state -- as long as I did not solicit the funds from the parents or relatives of any parolee on my caseload.

Approaching these parents or relatives would give the perception that action could be taken against the parolee if they did not contribute. It would not matter that I would never do such a thing, because I simply weilded too much power over these people.

The same is true of Cuevas. His motives may have been pure, but he simply weilds too much power (through his state agency) over these businesses to be soliciting them for funds for any reason (even for a charity).

I and my fellow state employees knew this would be wrong (and could result in disciplinary action). How can the state's Republican leadership, especially Rick Perry, not be able to see it is wrong?

This is just another reason why Rick Perry should be removed as governor.

"Tough Guy" Kills Helpless Chihuahua

I really have no patience for this kind of "tough guy" -- someone who thinks he has the right to kill a defenseless animal just because he happens to be drunk and angry.

Zachary Don Phillips of Mansfield (between Dallas and Fort Worth) is the tough guy. The 18 year-old and his wife got drunk early Wednesday and began arguing in the bedroom of their apartment. Eventually police were called for the domestic disturbance.

When the police arrived, they found not only two drunk teenagers, but also a dead chihuahua. The wife said Phillips had ripped her tiny pet from her arms and threw it against the wall -- killing it.

According to police, "He (Phillips) stated to officers he did grab the dog out of her arms and it did hit the wall and die but said he didn't throw it." Does he think this excuses his violent behavior? Or maybe he wants us to believe the chihuahua committed suicide by throwing itself against the wall.

Police have charged Phillips with Cruelty To An Animal, Public Intoxication and Consumption Of Alcohol By A Minor. I imagine he'll probably get off with a fine, but personally I'd like to see him do enough jail time to convince him he doesn't ever want to do that kind of thing again.

How can a person do such a cruel and senseless thing?