Sober October is Over, How Much Are You Drinking?

Hey, there are folks. It is Sunday, November second, and did you just wrap up a Sober October. Well, even if you didn't participate in Sober October, there's a really good chance you have cut back on your alcohol intake because Americans are doing it in record numbers. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. What a positive health alert. Right, this is huge. But we are not drinking as much as we you too.

It's true, and this has been something that a lot of folks have been pointing to.

The messaging has changed.

We had been hearing a lot of us of a certain age for most of our lives that moderate drinking there actually were health benefits to certain types of alcohol. It wasn't demonized in the way it's been in the last several years. We have heard on equivocally from doctors, from researchers who say higher drinking the leads to higher rates of cancer. It certainly does not improve your health

Yeah, it really is how much of it has to do with people having alternatives right now? Who knows, But for whatever reason, the numbers are bearing it out that somebody, something is working and some messaging is getting through because folks are not drinking as much to the tune of some of the lowest rates we've seen in decades, some thirty plus years in this country.

Yes, lowest numbers in three decades, the percentage of US adults who admit to drinking alcohol. And we're at the highest number ever in history of Americans who believe that even moderate alcohol consumption is a health risk.

Those are two really good things.

We have the lowest number and the highest number, and they're going in the right direction, respectively.

I don't how are they explaining this?

So they think that what they're saying now is sinking in. And they're also saying a lot of what's driving this are younger Americans, younger kids who are now of drinking age, have been hearing since they can remember how dangerous alcohol is. They also some will point to have the alternative of legalized marijuana, which they consider to be a safer or a better alternative to alcohols.

So do doctors right, Yes.

So between those two things. They're attributing a lot of these numbers. But even us older folks, it is sinking in.

And they broke this down.

This Gallop poll for twenty twenty five broke down how and who is consuming what and how often in a really interesting way. So we're at the lowest point in three decades. Just fifty four percent of US adults report drinking alcohol.

Remarkable, and by the way.

In twenty twenty two that percentage was sixty seven percent. In twenty twenty three, d it's sixty two percent. Last year it was fifty eight percent, and this year fifty four percent. That is significant. And so this is among the lowest number ever reported since the question was first asked in nineteen thirty nine. Wowep, And here's something else interesting. Guess what the period was the just give me like a year period for the highest reported drinking percentage.

Among US adults highest.

Yeah, what were the years where you Americans admitted to drinking the most?

Thirty nine, nineteen thirty nine, twenty twenty. Going back, I'm thinking about historical YEP times, Actually, what do you have.

You're not You're not close.

So they're the period of highest reported drinking was between the years of nineteen seventy four and nineteen eighty one, where anywhere between sixty eight and seventy one percent.

Of Americans were regularly drinking.

What you're again, seventy four to eighty one, right when we you and I were kind of in our prime.

Well yes, I mean I was one when that started. You were in elementary school.

But just think about that, we were surrounded by advertisements, adults, people who were heavily drinking and not concerned about it.

Wow, the highest rates of alcohol consumption were right around the time you and I entered the world.

Yes, indeed.

And also here's another interesting fact about what's happening this year. In this latest poll, even among those who do drink alcohol, everyone reports drinking less. They're more aware, they're acknowledging the health risks, and you and I fall into that category. We've done dry genuine I've done it once. I've done a damp January, and we definitely acknowledged when we were in a stressful year that we went in the other direction.

So we've corrected.

However, interestingly, we had a good conversation with my brother who's a physician, in early October, and we.

Made a big decision. We made a change a shift.

Oh that was my cue. Yes, I'm sorry, I was taking a sip in my drink.

Of water.

No, it's it's interesting. And it was on that trip we heard from uh. I think we made a bunch of health decisions after that. We just got exposed with some folks who hadn't seen it in a while and got help on running and injury and nausea. We came back. But yeah, one of the things we heard, ye, yes, your brother, who's certainly a drinker, but he say, yeah it is, don't even who, and a physician as well. He was like, yeah, there's no there's no upside to it.

So yeah, we came back from that trip to go see Georgia play and hung with my brother and we said, you know what, we're going to give it a try, and we have really liked it. It's kind of nice when you give yourself a specific limitation and just say hey, on the weekends, I'll drink, you know, in moderation.

On the weekdays, I don't need to.

Yes, if there's a special occasion, yes, If there is a one off of this, I'm not going to say oh no.

But it does make for.

Intentional and purposeful drinking, which I think has helped a lot.

Like I have loved it.

I can't imagine going back, honestly to the way we were. So that's been a cool change that we've made. But there's a big I know it's not going to be surprising to anyone. Men versus women. The decline in drinking has been more pronounced among women. So women are down a lie eleven percentage points just from twenty twenty three, So fifty one percent of women report drinking. Men are down five percentage points from twenty twenty three, so fifty

Poll, who drinks more Republicans or Democrats. I think Republicans might admit it.

That's hilarious. Okay, so Republicans.

Drinking among Republicans is at forty six percent, drinking among Democrats sixty one percent.

Boy, so for pole taken like so twenty twenty five in July. In July of this.

Year, Oh you sure it wasn't thinking like November twenty four.

But here's something really interesting.

For whatever reason, they say there was a sharp drop in reported drinking among Republicans, falling nineteen points to forty six percent. They say Democrats held steady at sixty one percent. So who knows flip self reporting?

It's Republicans who didn't want to report it. Okay, I had it flipped so hard. There's not a nineteen percent drop.

In that's shocking, right, right.

So why would the what in the world happened?

Okay, how about white people versus people of color this year in twenty twenty five, that's the percent who drinks more white.

People are people of color?

People of color?

You're wrong, White people fifty six percent, people of color fifty two percent. Again, this is people who admit that they drink regularly. That's always important.

You're gonna call us for a pole, of course, we're gonna lie to you. I don't know who's on the phone.

And of course, as my brother, my favorite anecdote here tell me is that whatever you tell your doctor how many drinks you have a week, they automatically double it because they know everybody's lying.

So this poll should be taken with a grain of salt.

How about this, people who make less than forty thousand dollars a year versus people who make more than one hundred thousand dollars a year.

This was the biggest disparity.

Uh, the the under forty drinkers forty thousand do what do more of the drinking?

You're wrong, less than forty thousand, thirty nine percent, more than one hundred thousand, sixty six.

It just can't afford to drink, That's what it would seem to be. That's exactly what it would appear to be. Or they're working so much they don't have time to drink.

I mean, it could be a lot of things, right when you're in that situation.

This is so interesting. So we're at a record high.

I mentioned fifty three percent of US adults now say moderate drinking is bad for health. That is up from twenty eight percent who believed that.

Just ten years ago.

That speaks to the fact that the messaging is worse Today's number. I'm sorry, fifty three percent of US adults now say hey, yes, we admit even moderate drinking is bad for you. Only twenty eight percent of people said that or believed that in twenty fifteen.

That's kind of crazy, right.

We still get studies every once in a while to tell you that red wine is good for you.

Yes, And that was what was complicating things. They said that we were getting enough of a reason to somehow convince ourselves that it was not just okay to drink, but good to actually have a glass of red wine.

Correct. So, anyway, that was really interesting is hydrating?

Do you have that information in there as well?

You love to say that. So do you know what the current government recommendations are?

Did they cut them? Are they new? How about this? Have they been updated in recent months?

They're expected to be soon, but they are not as of right now. So do you know what the current government recommendations are for drinking?

The limits are two a day for man, one a day for women.

You are absolutely correct.

So the federal government's current dietary guidelines recommend that Americans if they consume alcohol, Men should limit themselves to two drinks a day or fewer, and women should stick to one drink a day or fewer. Okay, So it was a big problem with that, yes, and that is considered moderate drinking.

Correct.

So the outgoing US Surgeon General for VC Murphy, we know him, we love him. Earlier this year he is recommending putting a label on beer, wine liquor that would clearly outline the link between drinking alcohol and cancer.

And that has not happened. But certainly he was asking that happened.

And there are a lot of folks who say, look at this study and what's even happened with the messaging? And people do change their habits when the government changes their recommendations or puts a warning label on something.

You really think that warning label is going to make it onto a bottle of tetoes exactly?

All right.

So here's the interesting thing.

The government is expected to release new guidelines regarding alcohol by the end of the year. Don't know if it's going to happen, but that is what has been promised under the directive of RFK Junior. He has promised big changes, but he has not hinted on how the alcohol recommendations may shift. We don't know which direction he's going to take them in.

But people have taken an issue with these recommendations forever. Because you say two drinks, what is two drinks? Because one bottle of beer you consider one drink. They also consider one margarita one drink. But a margarita is made up of two shots if it's done directly at least right. So it's that they're a mess. I don't know what recommendations they can come out. All you can really say is drink less alcohol. You can't put a number on it.

And perhaps with the guidelines, if they said there is no safe amount of alcohol.

That's there, you go, that's on.

And we know that, don't we.

And we know that this worked with cigarettes, We know that this worked with tobacco. Clearly, when you don't just make Americans aware of it, but remind them and almost constantly barrage them with the messaging, hey, this could kill you, this will likely end your life or severely lessen your life, or lower the quality of your life. And when that messaging just is constant, people change their habits.

That's been proven.

All Right, do you know what the most popular alcoholic beverage was in twenty twenty five?

The most popular? Like you're talking about beer or wine or something or.

Yep, between beer, liquor or.

Wine liquor liquor to go with beer?

All right, we'll tell you if TJ's right when we come back.

All right, folks, we are back. We left it with a cliffhanger. That's old school. That was a tease, right, ask a question, wait for the answer. Was he right? We'll tell you right after the break. So I hope you stuck around for it. I had nothing to do with that. Okay, by the way, folks, and I still don't know the answer. What was the most popular you said, beverage? Alcoholic beverage in twenty twenty five? So far? Yes, between beer, wine, and liquor. Yeah, you said, I went with beer.

You went with beer. How would you order it?

How would I order beer?

Like?

No, that was a fair follow up, how would you order frosty glass beer? Like? If you had to rank the beer, wine, liquor, how would you rank it?

Man? You said that you asked that question, really strangely, how would you order it?

How would you rank?

I know what you say? Yeah, okay, wait is the first one, right though?

Yes, you are correct?

Okay, correct on beer after that? This is America. So let's go with liquor after that, and then wine, ding ding ding ning ning.

But here's the funny thing. So that's twenty twenty five. When you asked.

When they asked folks, what's your favorite type of alcohol to order, thirty eight percent said beer, thirty percent said liquor, and twenty nine percent said wine.

Now you close there.

In ninety yes, in nineteen ninety two, forty seven percent of Americans said beer, twenty seven percent said wine, and only twenty one percent said liquor.

That was interesting to you. That was nineteen ninety.

Two, ninety two, so.

Like thirty years ago, give or take.

Yeah, I was just coming into my drinking era.

And yes, exactly, nineteen ninety two was my freshman year in college.

Yes, so, oh, that wasn't my drinking I was still in elementary school with that.

That's not true. You were in high school. Let's just be honest, all.

Right, this won't be shocking, But there were some big gender differences in terms of who likes what.

All right, obviously I shouldn't.

Say obviously, oh you shouldn't see.

Okay, fine, but turns out, yes, men far more likely than women reach for a beer, So fifty two percent prefer beer versus twenty three percent of.

Women prefer beer.

Prefer it. Yes, hey, that's a special group of women.

Twenty three percent.

That was me in college. One hundred percent. That's not only was do I actually like the taste of beer?

It was the cheapest option, and she's frugal.

Really, you find jeans, t shirt and can belly up to the bar and have a draft beer and watch a college football game. You just you hold on to that woman.

Yeah, well I see while you fallen in love with me.

Because check, check and check. All right, women were more likely than men to choose wine.

This is hilarious. Forty four percent to fourteen percent. Come only fourteen percent of men chose wine first seeing.

Their number one choice. Okay, maybe that reads okay, that makes sense. Number one.

That's why when we said, shibli the driest you have that was hilarious line in a movie American History.

We Died last.

We have to go back and watch.

Yes, all right, and then men and women are equally likely to opt for liquor. Twenty nine percent of men will choose liquor first and thirty two percent of women will.

Choose liquor first.

Wow.

I thought those were some interesting differences the beer and the wine.

Maybe not that shocking.

Great generally speaking, your first option for a drink is what wine?

Is it?

Really? I know it depends on the setting, but yeah.

And honestly, the only reason why this is so embarrassing in me to admit that I wouldn't have said beer is the carbs. I just don't want that heavy beer belly carb fuel. But I love the way it tastes. I mean, if I could, if nothing else mattered, pick my first drink, I'd pick a beer and then I'd move on from there.

This is it's so difficult. That's what I asked. What would your first drink be? What would it be? What do you want to drink?

Yeah, if it was if nothing else mattered, I would pick a cold.

Beer if nothing else mattered.

In the world as in carbs. Okay, yes, how about you.

I don't know, I have to give it more thoughts.

But yes, and we did kind of hint at this, but cannabis use in the US obviously has significantly increased over the last couple of years, particularly among the eighteen to twenty nine year olds who have now in the same I saw a similar study saying that fifty percent of kids between the age of eighteen and twenty nine report using cannabis regularly fifteen fifty five zero fifty percent of folks ages eighteen to twenty nine reported using regularly cannabis.

Is it a cheaper than liquor.

It's cheaper than liquor.

It doesn't have the same health implications so far as we know them. And people feel like, you know, you can microdose, you can function. You start drinking on the job, you're gonna get fired, right you have something on your smoke break or a little gummy or what little weed water? Who's gonna know it's a you know, you can function in a way. I think some folks think then you could never if you had been drinking.

Get any other alarming statistics over there, no, you get no more quizzes.

Were done with my statistics and my quizzes. So there is some good news and there is some news to still be studied.

Perhaps I don't know what I feel like making a drink now all this talk. I think I'm going for Manhattan. So, folks, we always appreciate you spending some time with us. And look, we should give a shout out to the folks today running the New York City Marathon. We weren't able to do it this year for a variety of reasons we won't get into right now, but we are having some serious fauxmo yes right about now. But man, that beer at the end of that marathon is maybe the best.

The best beer ever.

Absolutely all right, folks, always appreciate your hanging with us for now on d J. Holmes on behalf of Amy Robot. We'll talk to y all soon, yeah, h