By the Numbers: 18 March 2024

By the Numbers: 18 March 2024

15%

The percentage of veterans reporting "high-risk alcohol use...in the third year following the pandemic onset," according to a study recently published in The American Journal of Medicine -- Alcohol Use Patterns During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Veterans in the United States.

Among a cohort of 2.15 to 2.60 million Veterans, 15.5% reported high-risk alcohol use during March 2018-February 2019, which decreased to 14.6% during the first year of the pandemic, increased to 15.2% in the second year, and then decreased to 14.9% from March 2022-February 2023. Among non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics, the proportion of women reporting high-risk alcohol use surpassed that of men during the onset of the pandemic and beyond. The greatest proportion of high-risk alcohol use was observed among young Veterans ages 18-39 years (17%-27%), which was consistent across all race/ethnic groups.