Studies Show That Most States Exceed the Per Capita Alcohol Consumption Goal
Heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to a number of health problems and costs state, local, and the federal government millions of dollars each year. Worldpopulationreview.com recently ranked alcohol consumption by state for 2020.
According to their findings the states with the highest per capita alcohol consumption last year were:
- New Hampshire
- Delaware
- Nevada
- North Dakota
- Montana
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Alaska
- Idaho
- South Dakota
As noted in the article, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that the majority of states exceeded their 2016 alcohol consumption goal of 2.1 gallons or less per year. On average, states consumed 2.35 gallons of alcohol per capita, with New Hampshire alone consuming double at 4.76 gallons. Only nine states met the 2016 alcohol consumption goal. Utah had the lowest consumption rate at 1.34 gallons per capita.
Globally, according to the post, the United States ranks 25th for alcohol consumption. Americans consume more than the global average of 8.3 liters per person per year. Studies show that in the United States, people consume around 8.7 liters of alcohol per person per year.
Early data indicates that alcohol sales and consumption increased dramatically at the start of the pandemic which may affect overall totals.
Alcohol consumption can play a deadly role in lives across the globe. Not only does heavy drinking or binge drinking have substantial health risks, but it also has an increased risk of injuries. Drunk driving alone claims thousands of American lives every year and is completely preventable.