During Dry January, Taking Stock of Americans’ Alcohol Habits and Attitudes
After the Surgeon General’s warning on January 3 about drinking alcohol in any amount, I wanted to take a closer look at Americans’ feelings and behaviors on alcohol consumption. Fortunately, we’re able to do that through an extensive survey by MRI-Simmons, a consumer research firm that examines everything from the kind of clothes people buy, to the kind of cars they drive, to the beverages they imbibe. My latest for the American Communities Project begins:
“When the U.S. Surgeon General sounded the alarm about the link between alcohol consumption and cancer, it was three days into Dry January, a time when many Americans pause drinking in a step toward healthier living.
This “sober curious” wellness movement has been gaining in popularity beyond Dry January, which originated through the organization Alcohol Change UK in 2013. Sober October started a year later. To cater to a growing demand for alcohol-free drinks, non-alcoholic bars have been popping up around the country, including Binge, the first such bar in Big City Washington, D.C. that opened in February 2023.
The American Communities Project sought to understand alcohol consumption habits in our 15 community types, based on the latest MRI-Simmons consumer research data gathered from households across the country between September 2021 to August 2023, and then broken into the ACP types in fall 2024. Nationally, 62% said they had an alcoholic beverage in the last six months.”