Alcohol Consumption

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In 2020, the annual per capita alcohol consumption was 2.5 gallons.

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Background

Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, colon, and rectum in men and women and of breast cancer in women. In general, these risks increase after about one daily drink for women and two daily drinks for men. (A drink is defined as 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.)

The chances of getting liver cancer increase markedly with five or more drinks per day. Heavy alcohol use may also increase the risk of colorectal cancer and leads to greater increases in risk for most of the alcohol-related cancers. The sooner long-term, heavy alcohol use begins, the greater the cancer risk. Also, using alcohol with tobacco is riskier than using either one alone because it further increases the chances of getting cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus.

Measure

Per capita alcohol consumption: The estimated number of gallons of pure alcohol consumed per person (aged 14 years and older), per year. This measure accounts for the varying alcohol content of wine, beer, and liquor. People as young as 14 are included because a large number of adolescents begin drinking at an early age.

Healthy People 2030 Target

  • There are no Healthy People 2030 targets regarding per capita alcohol consumption, but there are other goals related to reducing the misuse of alcohol and reducing alcohol addiction.

Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Data Source

Trends and Most Recent EstimatesHelp with navigating the graphs and data tables

Alcohol Consumption

Apparent per capita alcohol consumption in gallons by individuals aged 14 years and older, 1990-2020
Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2020)
Gallons of Alcohol 95% Confidence Interval
Thumbnail of graph for Apparent per capita alcohol consumption in gallons by individuals aged 14 years and older, 1990-2020 All Types of Alcoholic BeveragesClick to see the detailed trend graph for All Types of Alcoholic Beverages 2.5 Not available

Additional Information on Alcohol Consumption

Year Range

1990-2020

Recent Summary Trend Year Range

2016-2020

Summary Tables

Diet

Recent Summary Trend

Rising

Desired Direction

Falling