The premise of a recent Bloomberg Opinion op-ed carried by this newspaper (“Commentary: Women are drinking more alcohol and it’s killing them,” Aug. 22) is contradicted by multiple federal data sources that indicate neither alcohol use nor alcohol abuse among U.S. women have increased in recent years.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 51% of women consumed alcohol in 2015, compared to 49% in 2021. The same data also indicate that 22% of women reported binge drinking in 2015 vs. 21% in 2021, and the percentage of adult women with alcohol use disorder has remained stable for 30 years (approximately 4%-5% from 1992 to 2019).
Additionally, the survey shows declines in female underage drinking (21% in 2015 vs. 16% in 2021) and underage binge drinking (13% in 2015 vs. 9% in 2021).
U.S. adults who choose to drink should follow the dietary guidelines for Americans, which recommend no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. The guidelines also note some people should not drink at all. Most importantly, they should talk to their health care providers about alcohol to determine what is best for them.
To be clear, any amount of alcohol abuse is too much. To effectively address harmful drinking, however, it is essential to present accurate information backed by data.
Amanda Berger
vice president, science and health
Distilled Spirits Council
Washington, D.C.
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