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D.C.: We Drink More Than Everyone (Except New Hampshire)

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[Photo by Bruno Sanchez-Andrade]

Blame it on the happy hours, sports leagues, and other booze-fueled networking, but D.C. has the second highest per capita alcohol consumption in the US. While the national average was 2.33 gallons, D.C.'s 3.89 gallons was second only to the 4.65 gallons consumed by the average Granite State resident (New Hampshire's motto: Live Free or Die!). What does 3.89 gallons of alcohol per person look like in D.C.? 14,000 gallons of beer, 4,000 gallons of wine, and 2,000 gallons of liquor, or the loudest rooftop party ever. Delaware rounded out the top three (3.59), while both Maryland (2.21) and Virginia (2.13) were respectably below the national average. That said, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (who did this study) determined that the entire country seems to be drinking more. Overall consumption was up 2% nationally, with only seven states edging towards sobriety.
Katherine Jessup
· Apparent Per Capita Alcohol Consumption: National, State And Regional Trends, 1977–2012 [NIAAA]