Alcohol Consumption is Up, But So is Interest in Mindful Drinking
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Alcohol Consumption is Up, But So is Interest in Mindful Drinking Cutback Coach is a leading provider of tools to help anyone who drinks to build healthier habits. Tens of thousands of people are utilizing our system (try Cutback Coach for free here) to reduce their alcohol intake, drink more mindfully and reach their wellness goals. Across the country, however, many others are drinking more than ever — but new research indicates that a sizable percentage of these people want to cut back in the coming months. We recently partnered with Ipsos to survey U.S. adults about their drinking habits and plans. Our objective with Cutback Coach’s first-ever State of Drinking in the US report is to shed light on evolving American drinking trends and to also understand how the growing mindful drinking movement might influence these trends. Alcohol Use Remains Elevated During the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, alcohol sales shot up and various highly publicized studies indicated people were indeed drinking more than usual. That trend hasn’t abated. According to our survey, 80% of Americans report drinking the same or more alco- hol as they were three months prior, and 25% report drinking more.
Drinks are Spilling Beyond the Weekend
Drinking isn’t confined to Friday happy hours and Saturday night celebrations. A majority
(54%) of respondents said they’re drinking three or more days a week. Getting more granu-
lar, almost a quarter (23%) of these people are drinking five or more days each week.
People are Turning Up the Volume
It’s not just that Americans are drinking more frequently, they are more likely to reach for
another and another (and another). On days when they do drink, nearly half of respondents
(48%) say they imbibe three or more drinks, which is considered binge drinking for women
(for men it’s four or more drinks) according to CDC guidelines.
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
Drinking Alone? You’ve Got Company
A large majority of Americans are frequently staying in when they drink. Whether they’re
alone or with friends and family, 82% of people say most of their drinking happens at home.
A third of all people (33%) report that they have been drinking alone more frequently. But
there’s a distinct difference in who’s more apt to imbibe alcohol alone (44% of men com-
pared to 24% of women).
People Are Feeling Wound Up
When asked to name the main reason for drinking, the most frequently cited answer — by a
significant margin — was “to relax and unwind.” The second most common response was “to
reduce stress or anxiety.”
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
Drinking More Mindfully is on People’s Minds
While drinking is up, many people say they are ready to make some changes. In the next
three months, 47% of people plan to try to drink less alcohol or establish healthier habits.
One highly effective way to build healthier habits is through mindful drinking, which centers
on being more thoughtful about how much you’re drinking and more aware of why you’re
drinking. Research shows that establishing healthier, more mindful habits around alcohol
can result in better sleep, reduced anxiety, and an improved sense of overall well-being.
And it’s a movement that’s gaining significant steam. In fact, 39% of people have considered
mindful drinking.
About Cutback Coach
Cutback Coach, founded by Nick Allen and Ian Andersen, is creating a new wellness cate-
gory around proactive alcohol health. Focused on mindful drinking rather than an all-or-
nothing approach, Cutback Coach’s behavioral psychology-backed system provides each
member a personalized plan catered to their lifestyles, baseline habits and individual goals.
The Cutback Coach experience is delivered via 2-way text message, providing a unique low
friction approach that makes participation with the program simple and user friendly. For
more information or to get started, visit www.CutbackCoach.com.
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
PUBLIC POLL FINDINGS AND METHODOLOGY These are the findings of a Cutback CoachIpsos poll conducted between August 13-20, 2021. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii who had purchased or consumed alcohol in the past 30 days was interviewed online in English. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents. The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinking
ABOUT THE STUDY
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between August 13-20, 2021, on behalf of Cutback Coach. For this survey, a
sample of 1,000 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii who had purchased or consumed alcohol in the
past 30 days was interviewed online in English.
The sample was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel, partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling and does not
rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample.
After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of
the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S.
Census 2018 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demograph-
ics. Posthoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to
other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100,
this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the
poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF)
for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval
adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,000, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-5.0 percentage points).
For more information, please contact:
Ian Andersen
Co-Founder
Cutback Coach
ian@cutbackcoach.com
The State of Drinking in the US: Fall 2021 CutbackCoach.com/stateofdrinkingYou can also read
