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Is a generational shift underway in how Americans think about alcohol? A new Gallup poll from July 2025 finds that 53% of Americans now say that moderate drinking is bad for health. That’s up from 45% just last year. Among young adults, the change is even sharper: half of 18- to-34-year-olds report not drinking at all, down from nearly 60% two years ago, and two-thirds view moderate drinking as harmful.
This is part of a broader cultural move toward intentional living. From plant-based diets to fitness trackers, wellness culture is reshaping daily choices. Movements like #SoberCurious and #MindfulDrinking are influencing norms and drinking environments, with alcohol-free bars, mocktail menus, and wellness-forward gatherings becoming mainstream. That stronger focus on health and balance in the U.S. and elsewhere may be contributing to recent positive trends in many countries. Underage drinking has fallen dramatically over the past decade, as has alcohol-related mortality.
But what is the evidence on alcohol and health? The conversation about alcohol today is increasingly framed as all-or-nothing, with headlines declaring there is “no safe level” of drinking. That claim is part of ongoing scientific discussion, but it does not reflect the broader weight of research. When messaging becomes one-sided, fear can replace facts.
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Consider what the science actually shows:
The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking recently reviewed 23 large-scale meta-analyses conducted over the past 25 years, pooling data gathered from observational studies involving tens of thousands to up to millions of people each. All 23 studies found that light-to-moderate drinking is not associated with a higher risk of death compared to abstaining. In fact, 19 reported a slightly lower risk among moderate drinkers.
Some researchers raise the “sick quitter” concern, that former drinkers who stopped due to illness may distort results. But even among the 11 studies that separated lifelong abstainers from former drinkers, seven still found a lower overall risk of death among those who drank moderately.
None of this means alcohol is risk-free. Heavy drinking is linked to many negative health conditions, including, liver disease, high blood pressure, and several cancers. But the connection between alcohol and harm is not always linear.
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A new study published in the Journal of Hepatology on August 26 found that alcohol drinking — and especially binge-drinking — patterns do raise the risk of liver-related mortality, yet it also showed that other factors — such as diet, exercise, and social conditions — play a powerful role in shaping outcomes.
Adults of legal drinking age deserve a conversation that is honest, evidence-based and recognizes the nuance that the scientific data continues to bring to light. (iStock)
People who had a healthy lifestyle significantly reduced their liver risks, and the protective effects were especially strong for women. Other factors such as socio-economic disadvantages, smoking and current health conditions were also shown to influence liver mortality. The decision to drink is not a simple binary of “safe” versus “unsafe.” Like most health choices, risk depends on genetics, family history, lifestyle, and context.
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All of this further underscores why balance matters in how we communicate. Adults of legal drinking age deserve a conversation that is honest, evidence-based, and recognizes the nuance that the scientific data continues to bring to light. The right response is neither to glamorize alcohol nor to stigmatize it, but to give people the tools to make informed choices.
Moderate drinking is not something anyone should adopt for its perceived potential health benefits, but it can be a reasonable part of a balanced lifestyle for many. For others, abstaining is the best decision. In many cultures, sharing a drink remains a social tradition that, when practiced responsibly, contributes to enjoyment and connection.
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Young adults are leading a cultural shift toward wellness, and that deserves recognition. But they, and adults of all ages, also deserve the full picture — not a message reduced to absolutes. If we can anchor the public dialogue in a comprehensive view of the evidence — acknowledging both risks and complexity — we will have a smarter, more useful conversation.
That is the conversation we should all want: one that resists fear, embraces science, and respects the real choices people face.
