In the U.S., alcohol consumption is on the wane. In 2023, 62% of Americans drank alcohol; by 2024, that figure was 58%, and by 2025, the figure dropped further to 54%.
And as people drink less alcohol, they consume increasing quantities of marijuana. In 2022, around 62 million people (aged 12 years and older) reported using cannabis during the previous year.
This study will consider key data to determine how this dual change – a drop in alcohol consumption and a rise in marijuana use – has affected driving behavior and road safety. We’ll look at changing perceptions around both alcohol and marijuana, closely consider reported consumption habits, and how different states compare when it comes to impaired driving fatalities.
Let’s first consider how American attitudes towards alcohol have changed.
The Decline of Alcohol Consumption in the U.S.
According to a July 2025 Gallup poll, the percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%. That’s the lowest rate in Gallup’s nearly 90-year polling history. And the decline has been fairly rapid over recent years.
Gallup polls between 1974 and 1981 recorded historic U.S. drinking highs (between 68% and 71%). As previously mentioned, the recorded rate in 2023 was 62%, and by 2025 it had sunk to a lowest ever 54%.
To put that into perspective, the U.S. alcohol consumption rate was 58% in 1939 but was regularly above 60% during the intervening years, despite 1958’s anomalous low of 55%.
The decline in drinking has been more pronounced among women (down 11% since 2023, to 51%) than among men (down 5%, to 57%). Drinking levels have also dropped 11% among non-Hispanic White adults, and have remained fairly steady at around 50% among people of color.
From a political demographic perspective, far fewer Republicans now drink (down 19 points, to 46%), whereas Democrat numbers have held steady at around 61%.
Study data focused on drinking levels reveals some interesting trends. A majority of Americans (53%) say drinking in moderation (“one or two drinks a day”) is bad for a person’s health; 6% say drinking is healthy, while 37% believe it makes no difference. Among Americans who do regularly drink, consumption patterns have evolved.
A record low 24% of drinkers said they’d drunk during the past 24 hours, while 40% said it had been over a week since their last drink, the highest percentage since 2000.
Across all surveyed drinkers, the average number of drinks consumed over the previous seven days was 2.8, Gallup’s lowest recorded figure for this category since 1996. In 2024, the figure was 3.8 drinks; prior to that, it was a consistent 4 drinks a week over several years.
Preferred alcoholic beverages differed sharply by gender. Men were far more likely than women to reach for a beer (52% vs. 23%), with women more likely than men to choose wine (44% vs. 14%). When it comes to liquor, men and women are much more closely inclined (29% of men, 32% of women).
The Changing Face of American Drug Consumption
Additional survey data emphasize the extent to which Americans are increasingly disinterested in alcohol. Sales of alcohol in the United States fell by just over 3% in both 2023 and 2024. And this is reflected by evolving attitudes to drinking, and to data regarding what some see as a gradual alcohol replacement: marijuana.
A December 2025 New York Post survey of 2000 adults (aged 21+) revealed that just over 6 in 10 (61%) Americans are losing (or have lost) interest in consuming alcohol.
The biggest fall in drinking enthusiasm is expressed by Generation Z, 63% of whom say they are now less inclined to drink than at any point since they first tried alcohol.
Gen Z respondents also suggested that, on average, their waning interest in drink began at the age of 23. In contrast, Baby Boomers with a developed disinclination for alcohol said their disinterest didn’t begin until they hit the age of 44. (The median average across all respondents was 32 years of age.)
4 in 10 survey respondents cited a desire to improve their health as a key reason for their declining interest in alcohol, while 36% said it was due to disliking hangovers.
Just over a fifth (21%) of Gen Z respondents also said they prefer non-alcoholic alternatives, while over a third (34%) of all respondents said that drinking alcohol doesn’t appeal to them at all.
Survey respondents also considered what’s “in” and what’s “out” in 2026. Almost a fifth of respondents (18%) said drinking alcohol is “out.” (Also out: wearing overly tight (22%) or baggy (21%) clothing, and oversharing (20%).
On the other hand, what’s “in” included solo time (23%) and solo travel (19%). Also in: bold colors (20%), remote work culture (19%), and, crucially, THC (cannabis) drinks (18%).
Nearly half of Americans (48%) think THC products should be as socially normalized as alcohol-based products. (Gen Z (51%) and Millennial (60%) respondents were especially keen.) When asked to select a preferred method of using a THC-based product, respondents chose a THC beverage (33%) over smoking marijuana (28%).
Survey data revealed that 30% of respondents were familiar with the term “California sober” — a lifestyle choice that references abstaining from drinking alcohol, while continuing to consume marijuana. 34% of respondents identified as “California sober,” especially those from Gen Z (48%).
Actual sobriety is key to safe and focused driving. Let’s consider recent impaired driving fatality data to see if a drop in alcohol consumption has influenced road statistics.
Impaired Driving Fatality Trends
According to NHTSA crash data between 2022 and 2023, the total number of fatalities due to an impaired driver (who was recorded as intoxicated by alcohol or drugs) fell from 1,366 to 1,113.
During this period, 33 states were subject to a decline in fatalities due to impaired drivers, while significantly fewer (13) experienced an increase, and 5 saw no change at all.
Here’s a full list of the states that saw a drop in impaired fatality numbers, with California subject to the biggest year-on-year differential.
Conversely, here are the 13 states that saw impaired driving fatality numbers rise during the study period.
Five remaining states saw no change in their yearly impaired driving fatality figures.
Early projected NHTSA estimates for 2024 traffic figures suggested 39,345 fatal motor vehicle crashes, representing a decrease of almost 4% compared to 2023’s 40,901. This also marked the lowest fatality rate since 2019, and the first time since the pandemic that roadway fatalities dropped below 40,000.
Additionally, the data noted that Americans continue to drive more, with vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increasing 1%; despite this, the overall fatality rate dropped to 1.2 fatalities per 100 million VMT.
So far, we’ve established that alcohol use and impaired fatality figures are both in decline. And it’s clear that attitudes around marijuana are rapidly evolving, a trend that the following data augments.
Marijuana: A Rising American Drug (and Tourist Draw)
According to key data from Grand View Research, the cannabis tourism market was estimated at USD $10.23 billion in 2023, but is expected to rapidly rise to USD $23.73 billion by 2030, a CAGR growth of 12.38%.
As of early 2026, 25 states, along with Washington D.C., permit the recreational use of cannabis, with this number likely to rise. This lucrative tourist draw attracts a high number of visitors from nearby states and other countries, with the 25 to 44 age group representing 44% of the market.
Yes, there’s still plenty of uncertainty around the use of cannabis and the effect it has on someone driving while under its influence.
Cannabis: Perceptions and Recommendations
Many people drive while under the influence of marijuana. According to NHTSA survey data, 12.6% of weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for marijuana. And recommendations for how long people should wait before they drive after consuming cannabis vary, from 2 to 24 hours.
Here are just two varying state examples of recommendations.
- Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board recommends at least five hours for inhaled cannabis (or longer for cannabis edibles).
- Colorado’s state website recommends drivers should wait at least six hours before they drive if they’ve smoked up to 35 mg of THC and at least eight hours after eating or drinking up to 18 mg of THC.
Regarding driver perception of cannabis impairment and driving, here are some of the key responses from a survey of 990 U.S. drivers aged 18+, all of whom reside in a state in which recreational cannabis is legal.
- 51% of drivers said how they felt after using cannabis determined whether or not they drove.
- 47% of drivers said they felt impaired after using cannabis.
- 74% of drivers said they’d chosen an alternative to driving high over the previous 12 months.
- Only 35% of drivers were confident that they knew their state’s cannabis and driving laws.
Here’s how often those drivers in legalized states suggested they use cannabis.
- Rarely (1-4 times a year) 9%
- Occasionally (5-10 times a year) 12%
- Daily 37%
- Weekly 29%
- Monthly 13%
And here’s how the same drivers felt about assessing their own and other drivers’ fitness to take to the wheel following cannabis consumption.
- 69% of drivers said they can reliably judge if they’re too impaired to drive after using cannabis.
- 36% of respondents trust cannabis tourists to know if they’re too impaired to drive.
- Only 43% trusted fellow state residents.
- When it comes to law enforcement, 1 in 3 drivers don’t believe a police officer can reliably judge when someone is too impaired to drive.
- Of the drivers who were ticketed during the previous year, 41% admitted they were under the influence of cannabis at the time.
Here’s how drivers responded when they were asked if they could recall experiencing changes to their driving performance after using cannabis (respondents were invited to select all applicable options).
- Slowed reaction time 20%
- Greater difficulty staying in lane 8%
- Greater difficulty planning or following a route 9%
- Greater difficulty tracking the road ahead 9%
- Greater difficulty concentrating on driving 13%
- Greater difficulty making decisions while driving 12%
- Greater difficulty driving at the speed limit 11%
- I drive better or have less difficulty driving 11%
- None: I don’t recall experiencing any changes to my driving 42%
- Other 5%
When drivers were asked about how long they wait to drive a car after consuming cannabis:
- 35.5% of drivers said they waited 1-4 hours after using cannabis.
- 33.1% of drivers said they wait five hours or more.
- 6% of drivers admitted they use cannabis while driving.
When asked about the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis:
- 73% of drivers said driving under the influence of alcohol is more dangerous.
- 68% said texting and driving is more dangerous.
More than half of the canvassed drivers (52%) worried about cannabis affecting their driving performance. While 74% of drivers employ a variety of stalling behaviors to prevent themselves from driving after using cannabis. Those behaviors included the following.
- Ordered delivery food from a restaurant or shop 29%
- Ordered delivery food from an app (DoorDash, etc.) 31%
- Used public transportation 17%
- Used a rideshare 23%
- Got a ride from friends or family 38%
- Called friends/family instead of driving after using cannabis 21%
- Ordered a delivery of cannabis 12%
- Walked or biked instead of driving 25%
- Other 3%
- None of the above 24%
Drivers were also asked: When do you typically use cannabis? Here’s how they responded.
- When I wake up 7%
- In the morning 13%
- In the afternoon 21%
- In the evening 52%
- Right before bed 33%
- Often throughout the day 18%
- Unsure/don’t know 3%
The Evolving Nature of Driver Impairment
Alcohol use in America is down and is expected to further decrease during the coming years. And marijuana use is following the opposite trajectory, with usage rising as states further decriminalize the drug.
This is already having a meaningful impact on fatal accident figures. According to NHTSA crash data covering between 2022 and 2023, the total number of fatalities due to an impaired driver (who was recorded as intoxicated by alcohol or drugs) fell from 1,366 to 1,113.
During this period, 30 states were subject to a decline in fatalities due to impaired drivers, while significantly less (17) experienced an increase.
The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%. That’s the lowest rate in Gallup’s nearly 90–year polling history
Marijuana use is expected to rise further as more states decriminalize, with recreational use already high, and the cannabis tourist dollar a huge driving factor. There’s currently a broad consumption gap between the two drugs.
A 2023 national survey on drug use and health found that 36.5% of adults aged 18 to 25 consumed marijuana during the year. That study also showed that alcohol use over the same period, regarding the same age group, far exceeded marijuana use (68.1%).
Yet (if as is anticipated) alcohol use continues to fall, and marijuana use continues to rise, U.S. road fatalities may consequently continue to fall. But it’s important to emphasize the fact that driving impaired by any substance (alcohol or other drugs, whether legal or illegal) is against the law in all U.S. states, and for good reason.
While higher levels of alcohol may well affect driving to a greater extent than cannabis, cannabis impairment may still increase the likelihood of a crash.
And driving under the influence of both alcohol and cannabis is especially dangerous, as research suggests driving skills may be more negatively impacted than while solely impaired by either alcohol or cannabis.
It’s also important to note that recommendations as to the ‘cooling-off period’ following cannabis use vary across the United States. Additionally, studies have thus far been male-centric, with many potentially valuable findings regarding female-specific factors yet to be unearthed.
A more universal guideline, following a better appreciation of the effects of marijuana on the motorist, will provide more definitive and more broadly applicable guidelines.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and it wasn’t your fault, you might need to know if it’s time to take action. The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Bader Law can help you file a claim and negotiate directly with insurers to pursue a fair settlement on your behalf.
