Alcohol consumption steady in recession

PRINCETON, N.J., June 29 (UPI) -- U.S. residents interviewed for a Gallup Poll say their alcohol consumption has changed little during the recession.

Despite some anecdotal reports of an increase in drinking, the percentage of U.S. adults who drink alcohol remained steady at 64 percent, essentially unchanged from a year ago, Gallup reported Monday.

The 64 percent said they have "occasion to use alcoholic beverages," a percentage that has remained steady within 3 or 4 percentage points since about 1947, Gallup said in comparing previous polls.

Sixty-five percent of drinkers in the June survey said they had at least one drink -- usually beer -- within the last seven days, which is the same as a poll taken a year ago and similar to polls reported each year since 2001, Gallup said.

The June 14-17 telephone poll interviewed 1,011 adults nationwide and had a sampling error of 3 percentage points.