One in Five Drinkers Has Taken a GLP-1. They Are Twice as Likely to Have Done Sober October.
Medically reviewed by Joseph Volpicelli, MD, PhD
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 20% of American drinkers have taken a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound: 11% currently, 8% in the past. |
| They drink about as much as everyone else: 5.4 drinks in a typical week, against 5.6. |
| They are twice as likely to have done Sober October (23% vs 10%) and more likely to be planning it (35% vs 24%). |
| When they do a sober month, they are twice as likely to use some form of support (42% vs 21%). |
GLP-1 medications are attracting a lot of interest as a possible medication to reduce alcohol drinking. About 1 in 5 American drinkers have taken a GLP-1, and there is a lively debate about whether they change how much people drink. But Oar Health's State of Sober October 2026 report shows something different and interesting. Among people who drink at least monthly, those who have used GLP-1 medications reported similar alcohol consumption to other respondents, yet were more likely to participate in Sober October and seek support.
Why? The survey cannot tell us. But the pattern raises an interesting question: Are people who seek medical help for one health problem more willing to seek help for another?
How many drinkers have taken a GLP-1?
One in five. Among the 1,260 monthly drinkers we surveyed, 11% were currently taking a GLP-1 and 8% had taken one in the past; 79% never had. Use rises steeply with income, from 7% currently taking one in households earning under $50,000 to 21% in households earning more than $250,000.
Do people on Ozempic drink less?
Not in this survey. People who had taken a GLP-1 reported 5.4 drinks in a typical week. People who had never taken one reported 5.6 weekly drinks on average. Whatever GLP-1s do to appetite, the drinkers in our sample who had taken one were drinking about as much as everyone else.
That is one data point in a fast-moving area of research, and it is a survey, not a trial. The clinical picture is covered on our page Can Ozempic treat AUD?, which provides deeper insight into what recent studies show.
So what is different about them?
What they do about their drinking. People who had taken a GLP-1 were:
- Twice as likely to have done Sober October: 23%, against 10% of people who never had.
- More likely to be planning it this year: 35% against 24%.
- Twice as likely to have used some form of support during their sober month: 42% against 21% (a comparison of 57 people with 106, so read it as a strong signal rather than a precise figure).
The group most likely of all to plan a Sober October was people who took a GLP-1 in the past and have since stopped: 40% of them said they would probably or definitely do it.
Which came first?
There are at least three plausible stories. People who are already managing one part of their health with medication may be more willing to take on the next, and more comfortable asking for help with it. GLP-1 use may change how people experience alcohol in ways that make a month off feel more achievable. Or the same disposition, a readiness to act on health, may drive both.
What the data does show is that a group of drinkers who have tried a GLP-1 medication are more willing to try a sober month and more willing to get support while doing it. That combination is worth noticing, because the report's other findings suggest support is what the month most often lacks.
What this means if you're on a GLP-1 and considering Sober October
You're in good company, and the pattern among people like you is encouraging: more of them try the month, and more of them use help.
Here are three practical notes:
- Don't assume the medication will do the work. Based our data, GLP-1 users drink as much as anyone else. Plan the month as you would without taking a GLP-1.
- Use the support instinct. Whether that is a friend, an app, a coach or a clinician, the people in our survey who used support were the ones who had already learned that health changes go better with it.
- If cravings are the obstacle, there is medication for that specifically. GLP-1s may reduce cravings by themselves. However if you still experience cravings, drugs approved for alcohol use disorder, including
Our guide to Sober October covers the rest: the rules, the week-by-week plan, and what to do if you slip.
About the data. Oar Health surveyed 1,260 US adults aged 21 and over who drink at least monthly on September 1 and 2, 2026. GLP-1 figures compare 249 respondents who had ever taken one with 1,011 who had not or did not say. The support comparison is among past Sober October participants (57 and 106). Full methodology is in the report.
This article was medically reviewed by Joseph Volpicelli, MD, PhD, a Senior Adviser to Oar Health whose research established naltrexone as a treatment for alcohol use disorder. Review confirms the clinical information here was accurate and current as of October 27, 2026. It is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician.
