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Vermont Value:
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)
Vermont Rank:
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)
3.6% - 5.5%
5.6% - 6.8%
6.9% - 7.5%
7.6% - 8.6%
8.7% - 9.6%
No Data
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 2026.
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:
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:
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:
Healthy People 2030 has multiple alcohol-related goals, including:
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.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
