Researchers say they’re seeing a national trend toward lower alcohol consumption, and the pattern may be catching on in Iowa through efforts like Sober October, though one study shows Iowa’s binge drinking rate remains the nation’s worst. University of New Mexico psychology professor Katie Witkiewitz (WICK-uh-witz) says they’re finding that younger adults are leading the shift to drink less booze.
A 2020 report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services found 57 percent of Iowa adults reported having at least one drink of alcohol in the previous month, versus 61 percent a decade before. The national average was 53 percent. Witkiewitz says her research indicates more people are open to exploring alcohol-free lifestyles.
Witkiewitz says many participants in the movements report better sleep and more energy. State health officials say Iowa has the country’s 4th highest incidence of alcohol-related cancers, and the highest rate in the Midwest, while in 2019, the rate of alcohol-related cancers was almost ten percent higher in Iowa than the national average. Alcohol remains deeply woven into the state’s culture, as Witkiewitz says it’s often front and center in everything from sports to social events.
Witkiewitz says even small reductions in drinking can improve overall health. The state report estimated the cost to Iowans from excessive drinking in 2010 was nearly two-billion dollars, which includes costs from losses in work productivity, health care, and criminal justice, among others. A 2025 report from the group Find Recovery found Iowa leads the nation in binge drinking at a rate of 22-point-five-percent, which has decreased slightly in the past decade.
