Holiday drinks are a hit this year

woman holding holiday starbucks drink

Concerned about the spike in sugar consumption, a group of dental insurers has studied the year-end consumption of holiday drinks like pumpkin-spice lattes and concluded that consumption is soaring this year.

Nearly three out of every four American adults (72 percent) will consume one of the holiday drinks, the Delta Dental Plans Association found in a survey of consumers. More than a third of those buyers (39 percent) will indulge in one of the drinks at least once a week.

Millennials are particularly avid fans, the survey found. Almost nine out of 10 (86 percent) consumers aged 18 to 34 will down one of the beverages this year, and 55 percent of those will do so at least weekly.

The insurance group also found that parents are more likely than childless adults to indulge (53 percent versus 33 percent) and women are heavier consumers than men (77 percent versus 68 percent).

"We Americans love our cold-weather seasonal beverages," said Bill Kohn, the doctor who serves as Delta Dental’s vice president of dental science and policy. "Keep in mind much of that sweet taste does come from sugar and we want to remind people that a few quick steps can help protect their teeth and their oral health."

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