Increased Alcohol Use During Pandemic Continued Into 2022, Study Finds

Increases in U.S. alcohol use seen at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic continued into 2022, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Southern California also found more people reported heavy or binge drinking, The New York Times reports. The findings come from the National Health Interview Survey, conducted from January through December 2022. The survey asked more than 26,000 people ages 18 and older about their alcohol consumption in the past year.

The researchers noted that because the survey was based on self-reports and did not include members of the military or institutionalized adults, the results may underestimate alcohol consumption.

Overall, the survey found 69.3% of adults said they had consumed alcohol at some level in the past year, up from 69.03% in 2020 and 66.34% in 2018. The number of Americans who said they consumed alcohol at levels defined as heavy drinking increased to 6.29% in 2022, up from 6.13% in 2020 and 5.1% in 2018.

“These numbers reflect an alarming public health issue that could result in severe health consequences for far too many people,” researcher Dr. Brian P. Lee said in a university news release. “Our results suggest men and women under 50 are at special risk.”