In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 states with the highest rates of binge drinking in the US. You can skip our detailed analysis of the financial impact of alcohol in America, the country with the highest rate of binge drinking in the world, a company promoting sobriety as part of its workplace culture, and the use of ketamine to treat alcohol use disorder, and go directly to the 5 States with the Highest Rates of Binge Drinking in the US.
There is a substantial amount of evidence that suggests that any alcohol consumption, however moderate, can have negative health consequences. Even low levels of drinking can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and even certain types of cancer. Understanding that there is no such thing as risk-free drinking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines moderate drinking as 2 drinks or less per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women. Still, despite the well-publicized health risks, more than two-thirds of adult drinkers regularly exceed those levels.
Binge drinking – defined by the CDC as consuming 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women – is the most common and costly form of excessive drinking. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 61 million, or 21.7% of Americans aged 12 and older reported binge drinking during the past month.
The Financial Impact of Alcohol in America:
As we mentioned in our article – US Alcohol Exports by Country: Top 15 – booze plays an enormous role in the American economy. As of 2021, the total share of the beverage alcohol market in the U.S. represented almost $250 billion and over 3.4 billion cases sold. Beer/FMB/hard seltzer accounted for 43.5% of value share, followed closely by spirits at 39.5%, and wine at a 17% share.
The U.S. alcohol beverage industry is responsible for sustaining more than 4 million jobs and generating almost $70 billion in annual tax revenue. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the economic benefits the industry provides to late night restaurants and pizza shops. Per the Beer Institute, the beer industry alone supports 1.75 million jobs. From the farmers harvesting the barley in your beer, to the beer truck driver, to your local bartender, every aspect of your drink exists because of someone in the alcohol industry working hard behind the scenes.
However, there’s obviously also a downside to the heavy alcohol consumption in America. According to the CDC, excessive drinking costs the country around $249 billion annually, when combining healthcare expenditures, lost earnings and productivity, criminal justice implications, vehicle crashes, property damage, and more. The federal government picks up roughly $100 billion of the tab, largely through Medicare and Medicaid payments. Several evidence-based strategies can help reduce excessive drinking, including increasing alcohol excise taxes, limiting alcohol outlet density, and commercial host liability.
Country with the Highest Rate of Binge Drinking:
A recent report by the OECD has revealed that around 37% of adults in Denmark admit to binge drinking at least once a month, making it the worst in the world for binge drinking. Another worrying statistic is that Denmark also has the highest rate of binge drinking in the world among adolescents, with around 59% of the country’s 15-16 years-olds reporting heavy drinking at least once in the last 30 days. This is mainly because Danish adolescents have earlier access to alcohol than those in other European countries, and alcohol control policies are also less stringent in the country.
Sober Workplace Culture:
According to the Institute for Work & Health, employees at companies that most discouraged social drinking were 45% less likely to be heavy drinkers than those in workplaces with the most liberal attitudes to drinking, after taking into account other factors that influence drinking levels.
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is a company that famously banned alcohol from in-office events back in 2016. Soberforce is an employee-led resource group within the cloud-based software company that was started with the goal to provide a community and connection for sober employees, support people with addiction issues, and destigmatize addiction. The group holds regular virtual meetings and leads conversation threads on Slack, which is made available to all of 75,000 global employees of Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM).
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is included among the Biggest Publicly Traded AI Companies in the World.
Ketamine Intervention to Treat Alcohol-Use Disorder:
Recent studies suggest that ketamine may be an effective intervention to treat alcohol use disorder and alcohol withdrawal. Awakn Life Sciences is a UK-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics to treat addiction, with a near-term focus on alcohol use disorder. The firm expanded its commercial operations into the U.S. in 2022 through its first licensing partnership agreement with Revitalist Lifestyle and Wellness Ltd.
According to Anthony Tennyson – the CEO of Awakn Life Sciences – the company has already signed licensing deals with several third-party clinics in North America and Europe to use the therapy and has established four of its own clinics in the UK and Norway.
With that said, here are the States where Binge Drinking is Most Common in the US.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looking for the States with the Most Binge Drinkers. The following states have been ranked by their respective prevalence of binge drinking among adults aged 18 and above in the year 2021. When two or more states had the same prevalence of binge drinking, we ranked them by their per capita alcohol consumption instead.
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20. Michigan
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 17.6%
Despite its high rate of excessive drinking, the state of Michigan has taken several steps recently to make alcohol even more easily accessible to its residents. An example of this is the Public Act 183, passed in November last year. The legislation allows a manufacturer or supplier to offer electronic rebate coupons directly to a retail customer after the retail customer purchases alcoholic liquor from a retailer, thereby reducing the price of booze. In October 2023, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission even granted a liquor license to a laundromat.
19. Massachusetts
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 17.6%
Alcohol abuse costs Massachusetts at least $5.6 billion annually, while causing thousands of deaths and illnesses, according to a new analysis from Boston University researchers. With an excessive drinking rate of 23.1%, the state capital of Boston was included among the Drunkest Cities in America in 2023.
18. Alaska
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 17.7%
The number of alcohol-related deaths has more than doubled in Alaska in recent years, with 139 deaths in 2014 to 315 in 2021. The death rate is particularly high among Native Alaskans, who avoid alcohol addiction treatment also because of the lack of integrating tribal customs and values into the treatments.
17. Maine
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 17.8%
According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is the most widely misused substance in the state by youths and adults. Mainers especially love their beer, putting Pine Tree State among the U.S. States With the Highest Beer Consumption per Capita.
16. Missouri
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 18.1%
Missouri is also renowned for its iconic beer culture. Other than being home to the brewing giant, Anheuser-Busch, the Show-Me State also boasts a bustling craft brewing industry, with the Missouri craft brewers producing 306,723 barrels in 2023.
15. Hawaii
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 18.2%
Thanks to its countless blessings from Mother Nature, the Aloha State is a hotbed for tourists from around the world, who definitely don’t mind a cocktail or two while relaxing by its pristine beaches. A 2022 study conducted by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa found that increasing the alcohol tax in Hawaii by 10 cents per drink could reduce alcohol use disorders by 7%, in addition to generating an additional $58 million for the state coffers.
14. Louisiana
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 18.3%
Louisiana was the last state in the country to switch the legal drinking age to 21, however, some loopholes still exist. The Pelican State reported per capita alcohol consumption of 2.74 gallons in 2021, putting it among the Drunkest States in the US.
13. Ohio
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 18.5%
The average Ohioan drank 689 alcoholic drinks in 2021, an 11% decrease from 776 the previous year, according to a survey by DrugAbuse.com. A possible reason for this welcomed drop in drinking could be a change in routines for individuals, as restrictions eased in the pandemic’s second year and more people returned to out-of-home jobs.
12. Kansas
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 18.9%
Despite being among the States that Drink the Least Amount of Alcohol per Capita, Kansas has a surprisingly high prevalence of binge drinking. This demonstrates that although Kansans don’t often partake in drinking when they do, they take no prisoners.
11. Rhode Island
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 18.9%
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, an average of 493 annual deaths in Rhode Island are attributable to excessive alcohol use. The Ocean State currently has the 10th highest tax on wine at $1.40 per gallon, but the 41st highest tax on beer at $0.12 per gallon. This could be a possible point of prevention to decrease the high alcohol consumption.
10. Vermont
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 19.2%
Vermont is the state with the highest rate of underage drinking in the country, with nearly 25% of its youngsters between 12 and 20 years old consuming alcohol.
In 2022, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed legislation lowering taxes on ready-to-drink spirits, the latest front in an ongoing battle within the alcoholic beverage industry that pits distillers against beer and winemakers across the country.
9. Minnesota
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 19.3%
Recent alcohol statistics from the CDC found that over 1,100 Minnesotans died in 2021 as a result of binge drinking. This record figure is an extremely conservative estimate that doesn’t factor in drunk driving and other deaths indirectly caused by alcohol abuse, but it is still more than homicide and suicide combined.
Minnesota is included among the Top 10 Binge Drinking States in the US.
8. Colorado
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 19.5%
Coloradans drink more than the average American, with each person over 14 consuming about 645 drinks per year, compared to the national average of 536. In 2022, more than 1,500 people died from excessive drinking in Colorado, a slight decline from the previous year but still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
With an average annual consumption of 3.06 gallons per person, Colorado sits among the States that Consume the Most Alcohol per Capita.
7. District of Columbia
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 20.7%
The District of Columbia is home to the biggest wine drinkers in America, with its residents drinking 1.07 gallons of ethanol per capita solely in the form of wine. The capital’s liberal alcohol importation permit system underpins the extensive choice of wines.
6. Nebraska
Prevalence of Binge Drinking in 2021: 20.8%
Although Nebraska has a relatively low annual alcohol consumption of 2.13 gallons per capita, about one in eight deaths of Nebraskans aged 20 to 64 in recent years can be attributed to alcohol use. Moreover, approximately 70% of all treatment center admissions in the Cornhusker State are due to alcohol use disorders.
Nebraska ranks 6th in our list of America’s top binge-drinking states.
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