More Americans view alcohol as harmful to health, poll finds

The proportion of Americans who say they drink alcohol occasionally remains at a record low, according to a new Gallup survey.

The poll found that 54% of adults say they occasionally drink alcohol, tying last year for the lowest percentage recorded since Gallup began tracking the data in 1939.

At the polls peak, more than 70% of adults said they occasionally drank alcohol.

RELATED STORY | What you call moderate drinking may be riskier than you think

The survey also found a decline in the number of Americans who believe alcohol is good for health. Just 6% now believe moderate drinking is healthy. Nearly two decades ago, about 1 in 4 Americans said moderate alcohol consumption was healthy.

More than half of Americans now believe drinking alcohol is bad for health, more than double the share from a decade ago.

The poll found that 50% of adults ages 18-34 drink alcohol, compared with 58% of adults ages 35-54 and 55% of adults 55 and older.

The percentage of Americans who say they overdrink has also declined significantly. The poll found that 13% of adults say they drink more alcohol than they should. Three decades ago, that figure was 35%.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 178,000 U.S. deaths each year are attributed to excessive alcohol use. The CDC says about two-thirds of those deaths are tied to chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. About 61,000 deaths were linked to accidents or binge drinking.

RELATED STORY | New IARD analysis finds global alcohol-attributable mortality has fallen 26% since 2010