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Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ in United States
United States
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United States Value:
6.9%
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ by State
Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
Excessive Drinking - Age 65+ in
Data from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
<= 5.5%
5.6% - 6.8%
6.9% - 7.5%
7.6% - 8.5%
>= 8.6%
No Data
Excessive Drinking - Age 65+
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
About Excessive Drinking - Age 65+
US Value: 6.9%
Top State(s): Utah: 3.6%
Bottom State(s): South Dakota: 9.6%
Definition: Percentage of adults age 65 and older who reported binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days for females or five or more for males) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks per week for females or 15 or more for males)
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2025.
Adults age 65 and older have a higher alcohol-attributed death rate than younger adults due to several age-related factors. Alcohol tolerance tends to decrease with age, which can make older adults more sensitive to its effects. Furthermore, most older adults take one or more prescription medications, many of which interact negatively with alcohol. More than 87% of people age 65 and older have used at least one prescription drug within the last 30 days, and nearly 40% have used five or more. A 2015 study found that 20% of older adults reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink a week while taking medications known to interact with alcohol.
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with many adverse health outcomes, including:
- Unintentional injuries, such as falls and motor vehicle accidents.
- Increased risk of diabetes and liver problems.
- Cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension and heart failure.
- Mental health consequences, including dementia and mood disorders.
Based on data from 2020-2021, excessive drinking is responsible for more than 175,000 deaths annually in the United States, with 38% of those deaths occurring among people age 65 and older. In 2010, the most recent year with data available, excessive alcohol use cost the U.S. an estimated $249 billion.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of excessive drinking is higher among:
- American Indian/Alaska Native and white older adults compared with Black older adults.
- Older men compared with older women.
- Older adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or more than those with lower incomes.
- College graduates compared with older adults with less than a high school education.
- Older adults without a disability compared with older adults with independent living difficulty, difficulty with mobility, difficulty with self-care and difficulty hearing.
Alcohol misuse among older adults is often underreported, underdetected and misdiagnosed. Treatment options for older adults who misuse alcohol include support groups, rehabilitation facilities and therapy.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends clinicians screen adults for unhealthy alcohol use and provide behavioral counseling interventions when appropriate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a free online alcohol screening tool individuals can use to check their drinking anonymously, identify barriers to and motivators for drinking less and make a personalized change plan.
Some evidence-based policy strategies to reduce excessive drinking and lower the associated health and social costs include the following:
- Increasing alcohol excise taxes.
- Reducing the density of alcohol outlets.
- Reducing the days and hours of alcohol sales.
Healthy People 2030 has multiple alcohol-related goals, including:
- Reducing the proportion of adults over 21 who engaged in binge drinking in the past month.
- Reducing the proportion of people who had alcohol use disorder in the past year.
- Reducing the proportion of motor vehicle crash deaths that involve a drunk driver.
Curtin, Sally C., and Merianne Rose Spencer. “QuickStats: Rate of Alcohol-Induced Deaths Among Persons Aged ≥25 Years, by Age Group — National Vital Statistics System, 1999–2017.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 68, no. 33 (August 23, 2019): 734. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6833a5.
“Health, United States, 2018.” Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus18.pdf.
Qato, Dima Mazen, Beenish S. Manzoor, and Todd A. Lee. “Drug–Alcohol Interactions in Older U.S. Adults.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 63, no. 11 (2015): 2324–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13787.
Worcester, Sharon. “Study Shines Light on ‘Invisible Epidemic’ of Alcohol Use.” Caring for the Ages 17, no. 7 (July 1, 2016): 6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carage.2016.06.007.
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