The shift was driven by a combination of psychological, social, and policy-related factors: Pandemic-era increase in alcohol use persists

: Those with minor children in the household increased their drinks per month by 64% , compared to only 20% for those without children.

: Heavy drinking among U.S. adults increased by more than 20% during the pandemic's peak and remained elevated through 2022.

: This age group saw the highest increase in heavy alcohol use, rising from 5.1% in 2018 to over 8.2% in 2022.