American Drinking Remains Steady in Recession

A new Gallup Poll shows that the recession has done little to change Americans drinking habits, UPI reported June 29.

The June 14-17 telephone poll found that 64 percent of adults said they drink alcohol, roughly the same amount as a year ago.

That figure has changed little — varying between 3 or 4 percentage points — since 1947. The number fluctuated slightly between 1974 and 1981, when 68 percent to 71 percent of Americans said they drank alcohol.

The June survey interviewed over 1,000 adults nationwide and had a sampling error of three percent.