We’re drinking more these days. According to a recent report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Americans on average drank more alcohol than what is considered a “healthy” amount by the end of 2016, and more than they had drunk in 2015. If only we could pinpoint something that happened in 2016 that might account for the uptick.
That “healthy” amount—2.1 gallons of ethanol alcohol (or less) per person per year, which equals about 448 standard drinks per person per year—was set by Healthy People 2020, a government initiative aimed at doing exactly what it sounds like: promoting better living for Americans. In 2016, the national per capita alcohol consumption reached 2.35 gallons, which was a .9 percent increase over 2015. The last time Americans drank this much beer, wine, and liquor was in 1990.
Breaking that down to a state-by-state level, in 2016, 41 states and the District of Columbia were considered over the “healthy” mark; in the case of 29 states, the per capita consumption was at least 10 percent higher than hoped. That means only nine states fell below that 2.1-gallon limit.
The NIAAA used alcoholic beverage sales data and population data from the Census Bureau to compile the report, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Below are the 10 states with the highest alcohol consumption, whose residents might want to consider passing on that last drink of the night. May we also recommend some low-ABV cocktails?
10. South Dakota (2.87 gallons per capita)
9. Idaho (2.92 gallons per capita)
8. Alaska (2.94 gallons per capita)
7. Wisconsin (2.98 gallons per capita)
6. Vermont (3.08 gallons per capita)
5. Montana (3.11 gallons per capita)
4. North Dakota (3.26 gallons per capita)
3. Nevada (3.46 gallons per capita)
2. Delaware (3.72 gallons per capita)
1. New Hampshire (4.76 gallons per capita)
From: Esquire US
Source: Read Full Article