An annual survey of alcoholism in America found something new this year: a substantial decline in the number of people diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Roughly 10.6% of Americans age 12 and older were diagnosed with AUD in 2021 compared with 8.9% in 2025. That’s a 15% decline in AUD in four years. So what’s behind this dramatic drop in problem drinking?

An article on the survey in The New York Times claims the numbers are corroborated by both a Gallup survey and a University of Michigan longitudinal study. One clue as to the cause is that the impact is mostly on the low end of the AUD scale:

The federal data suggest that the decline has been chiefly among people with a mild form of the disorder, who constitute a majority of problem drinkers and whose numbers fell by nearly a fifth, or almost three million people. There was less of a decrease in the share of people with moderate and severe alcohol use disorder.

Tracking data suggests that younger generations have been steadily drinking less, carrying those habits with them as they age. As cannabis products have become legal in more states, experts speculate that people are drinking less and consuming more cannabis.

A survey conducted by YouGov this year also shows a sharp decline in problem drinking, measuring slightly different trends. For example, their survey shows more than one-third of adults drinking less alcohol than the previous year. Asked the reason why, half cited less interest in drinking, a third cited health concerns, and only 20% cited increased costs.

Another measure of a general decline in drinking alcohol is the sale of wine. Wine sales in the U.S. fell below 300 million barrels for the first time in decades, according to the Organization of Vine and Wine. That represents a 2.7% decline just in the past year. Wine retailers blame an increased interest in fitness and tariffs or boycotts on U.S. wines by Canada and other countries.

Only near the conclusion of The New York Times article do we hit upon the most likely answer for the decline in AUD since 2021: GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

An astonishing 1 in 8 adult Americans have been prescribed GLP-1 drugs for weight loss or type 2 diabetes. That’s 12.5% of adults, and it overlaps significantly with the 8.9% of adults who suffer from an AUD. Considering the overlap, my bet is the GLP-1s are slowing alcohol consumption across the board.

The New York Times cites a surprising test result, however, that GLP-1 drugs result in the greatest amount of drinking reduction with the heaviest drinkers, unlike the general trend, which shows the greatest improvement among the least heavy drinkers. In both cases, it’s good news that warrants further research.

Written by Steve O’Keefe. First published August 24, 2026.

Sources:

“SAMHSA Releases Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health,” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), July 27, 2026.

“Problem Drinking in the U.S. Is on the Decline,” The New York Times, August 13, 2026.

“Why 36% of Americans are drinking less alcohol in 2026,” YouGov, July 1, 2026.

“Wine sales hit 20-year low as drinking habits change,” CBS8, August 10, 2026.

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