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A survey conducted by the market research institute Gallup in 2023 shows that Americans consider alcohol to be significantly more harmful to health than marijuana. According to the survey, 40 per cent of adults stated that they do not consider cannabis to be harmful. Only 16 per cent said the same about alcohol. Half of those surveyed considered alcohol to be harmful to health, compared to 35 per cent for marijuana. Alcohol was even considered very dangerous by 30 per cent. The figure for cannabis was only 23 per cent. Rob McMillan from the Wine Division of Silicon Valley Bank summarises the results: "Adults rate alcohol as more harmful than marijuana. Cannabis is a potential substitute for wine."
Gallup also compared the position of consumers on the impact of alcohol on health between 2018 and 2023, with people over the age of 55 not changing their minds. 52 per cent of 21 to 34-year-olds consider moderate alcohol consumption to be unhealthy. In 2018, it was only 34 per cent. Among 35 to 54-year-olds, this figure rose from 26 to 39 per cent within five years, and from 26 to 29 per cent among the over-55s. According to McMillan, the messages from the World Health Organisation (WHO) are having an effect: more than half of younger consumers believe that drinking alcohol, even in moderation, is bad for their health.
A study conducted by the Wine Market Council in 2022 showed that over a third of 21 to 49-year-olds never drink wine, but only a seventh of over 70-year-olds do. Wine is "less of a preference than other options" for these consumers for health and budget reasons, notes Rob McMillan, emphasising that "there is still much work to be done to understand the nuanced motivations of alcohol consumers who are consciously drinking less wine." For the wine industry, however, it makes no sense to wait for young teetotallers to become consumers: "It can be dangerous to think that people simply have to get old enough to discover wine, or to trust that our strategies have 'always worked'". The industry must adapt to the context that determines demand, explained McMillan.
(al / Source: vitisphere)