Health

Study: Younger Generations Drink Less Alcohol

Study Suggests People Change Drinking Habits As They Age

BOSTON (CBS) ― There's some good news about Americans and their drinking habits. A new study shows people are drinking less as they get older, and many are switching from beer and hard liquor to wine, which studies show, in moderation, is actually good for you.

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine poured over 50 years worth of data from the Framingham Heart Study, a long-term health study of more than 10,000 people.

"We found the most recent born generation, they drink on average less than the older generation," said study author Yuqing Zhang.

Zhang said they did not look at reasons why, but examined how much people drank and what they drank.

Debbie Connolly of Winchester says she drinks less now than she did 10 years ago and has switched from mixed drinks and beer to a glass of wine now and then.

"Moderation and feeling good the next morning is more important than how much you drink," Connolly said.

The study did show while drinking amounts went down, the rate of alcoholism remained the same -- 13 percent of men, 4 percent of women.

"There are still issues that we need to think about it," says Zhang. "How to reduce those risks."

The Framingham study began in 1948 and has only Caucasian participants, so Zhang cautions the results may not apply to minority groups.

The study is published in The American Journal of Medicine.

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