A national Gallup poll released this week showed that only 54 percent of adults in the U.S. said they consumed alcohol. This is the lowest percentage in the ninety years since Gallup has been collecting data on drinking behavior. Among those aged 35 to 54, just 56 percent reported drinking, down from 70 percent in 2024. And those who are drinking report drinking less than they used to. What all of this means is not only that the pandemic drinking spike is decidedly done, but also that we are at a tipping point for alcohol use.

Why is this happening? We know more than ever about the harms of moderate drinking. More high profile people have gone public about quitting drinking. The non-alcoholic options are better and more plentiful than ever. More and more people have also taken breaks from alcohol, like Dry January, and recognized that they felt so much better, which generally leads to at least cutting back for a while. This cultural shift is likely to accelerate.

As quitting drinking (or never drinking) becomes more associated with health (or youth!), heavy drinking becomes seen as dated and inappropriate, like pushing smoking in the office. And the younger generation is more likely to escape the drinking trap altogether.

Is the corporate cocktail culture breaking up? Maybe. I’ll bet that in the next two years, the drinking expectations and pressures I described will become far less relatable, and encouragement to AVOID drinking will be widespread. I can’t wait to see it.