August 13, 2025
U.S. Drinking Rate at New Low as Alcohol Concerns Surge
>WASHINGTON, D.C. — The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend. This coincides with a growing belief among Americans that moderate alcohol consumption is bad for one’s health, now the majority view for the first time.
I have witnessed this phenomenon happening in my own life and it is so utterly bizarre and wild to me that, while having zero evidence for this, I have to believe it’s some kind of astroturfing campaign by companies selling legal marijuana.
Many of my friends barely drink anymore or have reduced drinking significantly, all while saying things like: “Alcohol is so bad for you, it is expensive, it makes you lazy and sick, I prefer to just smoke weed now.” None of them will tolerate even the slightest criticism of weed, even though smoking it is also bad for you, also expensive, and (can) also make you lazy and sick.
This coincides with dozens of articles I’ve seen over the past year on various sites, including HN, claiming that alcohol is not safe in any amount, or some other nonsense.
The transformation happened so fast and so out-of-the-blue that I just don’t understand how it could possibly be genuine.
I stick by the age-old adages: what you put in your body is your business, and everything that isn’t green vegetables and meat should be consumed in moderation.
My takeaway is that whatever effect there is must be so small as to be meaningless. The issue has been so thoroughly studied for so many decades. Even the cancer risks associated with moderate alcohol barely exceed the confidence interval - we're just collecting noise along the way.
Worrying about foodsins and sacred purity rituals with superfoods, air- and waterfilters are just existentialism anti anxiety religions. This field of science could have been several millions fatherOurs..
The western diet has become so horrible and disease-inducing, that alcohol displacing some those calories has a net positive effect - truly an impressive "accomplishment".
Beer may indeed be "healthier" than soda as the fermentation process used to make it does create microbial cells that may be beneficial for your gut health (https://fermentation.wsu.edu/alcohol-fermentation-products/b...). It's the alcohol content in it that makes it "unhealthy" for us, just as it is the excessive sugar in the soda that's really bad for us. (And, ofcourse, it also depends on how much of both you actually consume).
If you remove automobiles, I wouldn't be totally surprised if sugary soft drinks turned out to be worse than beer. Probably neither one is going to be good for you.
Thank you @bookofjoe for bringing this to my attention. I have a bottle in my fridge that needs uncorking, and as Neil Young sings, Tonight's the night!
Coincidence?
August 13, 2025 U.S. Drinking Rate at New Low as Alcohol Concerns Surge
>WASHINGTON, D.C. — The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend. This coincides with a growing belief among Americans that moderate alcohol consumption is bad for one’s health, now the majority view for the first time.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-al...
I have witnessed this phenomenon happening in my own life and it is so utterly bizarre and wild to me that, while having zero evidence for this, I have to believe it’s some kind of astroturfing campaign by companies selling legal marijuana.
Many of my friends barely drink anymore or have reduced drinking significantly, all while saying things like: “Alcohol is so bad for you, it is expensive, it makes you lazy and sick, I prefer to just smoke weed now.” None of them will tolerate even the slightest criticism of weed, even though smoking it is also bad for you, also expensive, and (can) also make you lazy and sick.
This coincides with dozens of articles I’ve seen over the past year on various sites, including HN, claiming that alcohol is not safe in any amount, or some other nonsense.
The transformation happened so fast and so out-of-the-blue that I just don’t understand how it could possibly be genuine.
I stick by the age-old adages: what you put in your body is your business, and everything that isn’t green vegetables and meat should be consumed in moderation.
My takeaway is that whatever effect there is must be so small as to be meaningless. The issue has been so thoroughly studied for so many decades. Even the cancer risks associated with moderate alcohol barely exceed the confidence interval - we're just collecting noise along the way.
Worrying about foodsins and sacred purity rituals with superfoods, air- and waterfilters are just existentialism anti anxiety religions. This field of science could have been several millions fatherOurs..
The western diet has become so horrible and disease-inducing, that alcohol displacing some those calories has a net positive effect - truly an impressive "accomplishment".
There was a questionable claim going around that beer was healthier than soda.
I don't really believe it especially when you take into account results like car crashes, but there is a figment of truth in it.
Beer may indeed be "healthier" than soda as the fermentation process used to make it does create microbial cells that may be beneficial for your gut health (https://fermentation.wsu.edu/alcohol-fermentation-products/b...). It's the alcohol content in it that makes it "unhealthy" for us, just as it is the excessive sugar in the soda that's really bad for us. (And, ofcourse, it also depends on how much of both you actually consume).
If you remove automobiles, I wouldn't be totally surprised if sugary soft drinks turned out to be worse than beer. Probably neither one is going to be good for you.
https://archive.ph/viuKG
For any activity that humans have been doing for thousands of years, every "recent study" you've seen, good or bad, may be safely ignored.
I am unlikely to stop consuming milk, eggs, coffee or alcohol anytime soon, and certainly not based on recent "studies or theories."
AHA! Medical approval in the nick of time!
Thank you @bookofjoe for bringing this to my attention. I have a bottle in my fridge that needs uncorking, and as Neil Young sings, Tonight's the night!
Sláinte and Happy New Year to all at HN!
[dead]
What they mean is that light dual GABA agonism/glutamate(nmda) antagonism is helpful.
Wait for a study to compare alcohol with ethyl ether (pure gaba agonist/nmda antagonist).
If that’s the case, 0.25mg of alprazolam seems like a safer way to induce that than ethanol.