Dr. Katie Witkiewitz: Drinking less alcohol

October 14, 2026

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Americans are drinking significantly less, according to a new poll, with more people choosing to cut back or skip alcohol all together. On October 14, 2026, SciLine interviewed Dr. Katie Witkiewitz, a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico.

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ANCHOR
AMERICANS ARE DRINKING LESS… ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY… WITH MORE PEOPLE CHOOSING TO CUT BACK OR SKIP ALCOHOL ALTOGETHER.

VO
A RECENT GALLUP POLL FINDS 54-PERCENT OF U-S ADULTS SAY THEY DRINK ALCOHOL… ABOUT THE SAME AS LAST YEAR’S LOW… AND JUST 13-PERCENT SAY THEY DRINK TOO MUCH… A RECORD LOW.
PSYCHOLOGIST KATIE WITKIEWITZ SAYS SEVERAL REASONS ARE DRIVING THE TREND.
FOR ONE… PEOPLE ARE MORE AWARE OF RESEARCH SHOWING EVEN LIGHT DRINKING CARRIES HEALTH RISKS… LIKE A HIGHER RISK OF BREAST CANCER.
MANY PEOPLE ALSO HAVE SMARTWATCHES… SHOWING THEM THEY SLEEP WORSE AFTER DRINKING.
PLUS… THERE ARE FAR MORE NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS ON THE MARKET NOW.
FINALLY… CAMPAIGNS LIKE SOBER OCTOBER AND DRY JANUARY ARE GROWING… ALONG WITH SOBER CURIOUS MOVEMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA… ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS.

SOT
Duration: 0:17
Super: Dr. Katie Witkiewitz – Professor, University of New Mexico
“What’s interesting is the younger adult age group is the group that tends to have the highest rates of drinking and the highest rate of problems related to alcohol. And so the fact that we’re seeing reductions in that group is especially exciting because that’s where we tend to see the most problems and when problems tend to develop.”

VO
RESEARCHERS ARE ALSO STUDYING WHETHER G-L-P-1S… THE DIABETES AND WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS… COULD HELP PEOPLE DRINK LESS.
DOCTOR WITKIEWITZ SAYS THREE CLINICAL TRIALS PUBLISHED IN THE LAST 18-MONTHS SUGGEST THEY MIGHT.
AND SHE HOPES IT’S APPROVED TO TREAT ALCOHOL USE DISORDER SOON.

SOT
Duration: 0:23
“I will say what’s really interesting is that the GLP-1 seem to be particularly helpful in helping people reduce their drinking, not necessarily stop drinking altogether. And I think that’s what a lot of people want, is to get better control over their drinking, to be able to reduce their drinking and to have some support with that and that’s maybe what the GLP ones are offering.”

VO
DOCTOR WITKIEWITZ SAYS EVEN SMALL CUTS… LIKE HAVING FEWER DRINKS OR FEWER DRINKING DAYS… CAN IMPROVE SLEEP… MOOD… AND LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE.

Raw, full-length interview covers:

Why more people, particularly young adults, are drinking less;
The rise of the “sober curious” and moderation movements;
What impact limiting alcohol has on people, including benefits such as better sleep, improved mood, and reduced risk for certain cancers;
How GLP-1 medications may reduce drinking and alcohol cravings; and
Why alcohol remains the country’s second-deadliest drug despite an overall decline in use.