What state drinks the most?

America loves to drink; however, excessive drinking can lead to several long and short-term health problems while significantly shortening a person’s life. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, alcoholism claims nearly 90,000 American lives each year, with the figure rising year on year.

A study that has been resealed by the National Institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism found that nearly a total of 7.8 billion gallons of alcohol were consumed by the U.S. in 2018. This statistic brought the national per capita consumption to 2.45 galls per person, or roughly about 501 drinks each a year.

Alcohol consumption in the US

The legal drinking age in the United States is currently 21 years old, one of the many laws enforced strictly. Globally, the U.S. has ranked at number 25 for alcohol consumption, with roughly 8.7 liters of pure alcohol consumed by every legal person per year. Unfortunately, this is above the overall global average of 8.3 litres. America set a goal for its citizens to drink less to help their overall health in the long and short term. The goal was set at 2.1 gallons or less per year, with the current average being 2.35 gallons per year.

The state that drinks the most alcohol per capita

The tiny state of New Hampshire wins the title for the state that has consumed the most alcohol per capita. The North Eastern states come in first for both spirit consumption and beer consumption. New Hampshire has had the highest consumption of alcohol which is more than double the goal set for America.

Compared to New Hampshire, Utah has been named the state that drinks the least, with alcohol consumption per capita of 1.34 gallons. This is thought to be due to the stringent alcohol regulation in this specific state. There are currently only nine states with an alcohol consumption per capita of less than the 2.1-gallon goal for America.

Furthermore, the ten states with the highest alcohol consumption per capita in gallons are as followers:

• New Hampshire (4.67 gallons)
• Delaware (3.52 gallons)
• Nevada (3.42 gallons)
• North Dakota (3.16 gallons)
• Montana (3.1 gallons)
• Vermont (3.06 gallons)
• Idaho (2.94 gallons)
• Wisconsin (2.93 gallons)
• Colorado (2.88 gallons)
• South Dakota (2.87 gallons)

Complications caused by alcohol

Many individuals who suffer from alcoholism will continue to drink day in, day out. They will continue to develop both short and long-term health issues stemming from drinking. Often, individuals’ loved ones will recognize that they have a drinking problem before doing it themselves.

However, for an individual to go into recovery and successfully recover, they need to acknowledge that they have a problem. Until the individual has wholly admitted their drinking problems, they will never be able to get onto the road to recovery as they will not take the treatment plan seriously.

Alcoholism has extensive research that has stated there are both short- and long-term health illnesses such as:

• Liver damage
• Sexual dysfunction
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Alcohol poisoning
• Heart disease
• Brain damage
• Cirrhosis

Alcohol withdrawal

An individual who heavily depends on alcohol to function through life can have severe withdrawal symptoms; these can include:

• Anxiety
• Profuse sweating
• Depression
• Social isolation
• Uncontrollable shaking
• Constant nausea
• Irritability

Depending on how dependent an individual is on alcohol, withdrawal can often lead to needing emergency medical intervention. Suppose you or a loved one has suddenly stopped drinking after a long period of none stop drinking. If you begin to witness any of the following symptoms, you will need to ring the emergency services immediately:

• Seizures
• Severe and constant vomiting
• Hallucinations
• Severe fevers

If you have been struggling with alcoholism and have a history of severe withdrawal symptoms, you must always visit your doctor before you decide to quit. This is due to the intense and amount of withdrawal symptoms you may end up experiencing.

A last word from Shoreline Sober Living

There is nothing wrong with having the occasional alcoholic beverage when you have had a stressful day or celebrating a milestone, birthday, or special event. However, if you find yourself craving a drink every day or believe that you need to drink to be functional, you should check yourself in with a medical professional to be on the safe side.

Alcoholism is a severe disease and can pull your life apart. Don’t let your drinking habit get out of control. Contact Shoreline Sober Living today to get your loved life back on track and the road to recovery.