Whether it's raising a glass during a celebration or simply unwinding after a long day, alcohol is a part of everyday life for millions of Americans. Unfortunately, even though having a few drinks now and then might feel harmless, science has shown us that there are definitely consequences to overindulging: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for about 95,000 deaths a year in the United States. But data shows there can be a big difference between each state and how much alcohol is typically consumed.
A study released by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that a total of 7.8 billion gallons of alcohol were consumed by Americans in 2018. This brought the national per capita consumption to 2.35 gallons per person—or about 501 drinks each year—with an overall breakdown of 570 million gallons of hard liquor, 900 million gallons of wine, and 6.3 billion gallons of beer.
Data from the study show that while per capita alcohol consumption is still below the peak that was reached during the early '80s, levels have been slowly rising for nearly two decades. And while it might seem like diseases such as alcoholism could be responsible for the increase, CDC data finds that nine out of 10 adults of the 37 million who binge drink each week—which is defined as consuming four or more drinks on an occasion for a woman or five or more for a man—do not have an alcohol use disorder.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's 2018 study, there's a good chance how much you drink could be affected by whether you live in Maine or Montana. Read on to see how much alcohol your home state drinks each year per person, and which one takes down the most drinks overall.
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50 Utah
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.35 gallons
49 West Virginia
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.74 gallons
48 Arkansas
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.78 gallons
47 Oklahoma
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.85 gallons
46 Georgia
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.9 gallons
45 Kansas
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.92 gallons
44 Kentucky
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.95 gallons
43 Alabama
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 1.99 gallons
42 Ohio
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.03 gallons
41 Maryland
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.08 gallons
40 Virginia
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.13 gallons
39 Tennessee
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.14 gallons
38 Indiana
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.15 gallons
37 Nebraska
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.16 gallons
36 South Carolina
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.16 gallons
35 Mississippi
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.17 gallons
34 North Carolina
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.17 gallons
33 New York
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.21 gallons
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32 Washington
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.22 gallons
31 Arizona
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.25 gallons
30 Texas
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.26 gallons
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29 New Mexico
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.26 gallons
28 Pennsylvania
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.34 gallons
27 Michigan
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.36 gallons
26 New Jersey
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.36 gallons
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25 South Dakota
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.37 gallons
24 Illinois
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.39 gallons
23 Iowa
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.39 gallons
22 Connecticut
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.4 gallons
21 California
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.49 gallons
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20 Missouri
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.51 gallons
19 Louisiana
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.55 gallons
18 Massachusetts
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.55 gallons
17 Florida
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.61 gallons
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16 Rhode Island
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.63 gallons
15 Hawaii
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.66 gallons
14 Oregon
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.74 gallons
13 Wyoming
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.78 gallons
12 Minnesota
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.79 gallons
Maine
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.85 gallons
10 Alaska
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.85 gallons
9 Colorado
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.88 gallons
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8 Wisconsin
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.93 gallons
7 Idaho
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 2.94 gallons
6 Vermont
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.06 gallons
5 Montana
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.1 gallons
4 North Dakota
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.16 gallons
3 Nevada
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.42 gallons
2 Delaware
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 3.52 gallons
1 New Hampshire
Average annual amount of alcohol per person: 4.67 gallons
Zachary Mack Zach is a freelance writer specializing in beer, wine, food, spirits, and travel. He is based in Manhattan.Read moreFiled UnderNews • State FactsRead This NextThis Is the Most Stoned State in America
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