Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ in United States
United States
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United States Value:
7.7%
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ in depth:
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Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ by State
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ in
Data from CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
<= 6.3%
6.4% - 7.0%
7.1% - 8.0%
8.1% - 8.9%
>= 9.0%
Excessive Drinking - Age 65+
- CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
About Excessive Drinking - Age 65+
US Value: 7.7%
Top State(s): Utah: 3.4%
Bottom State(s): Hawaii: 11.0%
Definition: Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
Data Source and Years(s): CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Adults age 65 and older have a higher alcohol-attributed death rate than adults ages 25-44 due to increased alcohol sensitivity, increased health problems and poor interactions with medications.
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with many negative health outcomes, including:
- Unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle accidents and falls.
- Increased risk of diabetes and liver problems.
- Cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension and heart failure.
- Mental health consequences, including dementia and mood disorders.
Alcohol tolerance tends to decrease with age, which can make older adults more sensitive to its effects. Furthermore, most older adults take one or more prescription medications, many of which interact negatively with alcohol, increasing their risk of a harmful interaction. More than 87% of people age 65 and older have used at least one prescription drug within the last 30 days, and nearly 40% have used five or more. A 2015 study found that 20% of older adults reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink a week while taking medication with a documented alcohol interaction.
Excessive drinking is a problem that affects people of all ages and was responsible for more than 175,000 deaths annually during 2020-2021. Excessive alcohol use cost the U.S. $249 billion in 2010.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of excessive drinking is higher among:
- Older men compared with older women.
- Older adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or more compared with those with lower income levels.
- Older adults without a disability, who have a prevalence two times higher than older adults who have difficulty with independent living.
- LGBQ+ older adults compared with straight older adults.
Alcohol misuse among older adults is often underreported, under-detected and misdiagnosed. Treatment options for older adults who misuse alcohol include support groups, rehabilitation facilities and therapy.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends clinicians screen adults for unhealthy alcohol use and provide behavioral counseling interventions when appropriate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a free online alcohol screening tool to anonymously check one’s drinking, identify barriers to and motivators for drinking less and make a personalized change plan.
Some evidence-based strategies to reduce excessive drinking and lower the associated health and social costs include:
- Increasing alcohol excise taxes.
- Reducing the density of alcohol outlets.
- Reducing the days and hours of alcohol sales.
- Holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage by their intoxicated or underage customers.
Healthy People 2030 has multiple alcohol-related goals, including:
- Reducing the proportion of adults over 21 who engaged in binge drinking in the past month.
- Reducing the proportion of people who had alcohol use disorder in the past year.
- Reducing the proportion of motor vehicle crash deaths that involve a drunk driver.
Curtin, Sally C., and Merianne Rose Spencer. “QuickStats: Rate of Alcohol-Induced Deaths Among Persons Aged ≥25 Years, by Age Group — National Vital Statistics System, 1999–2017.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 68, no. 33 (August 23, 2019): 734. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6833a5.
“Health, United States, 2018.” Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus18.pdf.
Worcester, Sharon. “Study Shines Light on ‘Invisible Epidemic’ of Alcohol Use.” Caring for the Ages 17, no. 7 (July 1, 2016): 6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carage.2016.06.007.
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