A Gallup poll finds 54% of Americans drink alcohol, which is a record low percentage. LSU Health New Orleans physiology professor Nick Gilpin says more Americans are understanding the health hazards that come with consuming one or two drinks a day.
“We’re doing a little bit better job these days of disseminating information about the effects of alcohol on your brain and your body,” Gilpin said.
Gilpin says studies from decades ago said it was actually a health benefit to have a drink or two a day, but new research debunks those theories. He says it’s been known that too much alcohol can impact a person’s liver, but we are learning that an overabundance of alcohol consumption can lead to other health problems.
“We’ve always known that chronic heavy alcohol use has the potential to lead to a fatty liver and eventually development of cirrhosis, which can be fatal. But I think, only recently, have we gained an appreciation for the potential for alcohol to increase cancer risks. I believe the previous Surgeon General wanted to put a label on alcohol similar to what we have on packs of cigarettes,” Gilpin explained.
Gilpen says adults are also finding other alternatives to alcohol.
“There’s a phenomenon called ‘California sober,’ which you may be aware of, which is individuals that choose to use cannabis, but not alcohol,” Gilpin said.
Gilpen says the poll shows that younger adults are at the center of the decline in alcohol consumption.
