New Hampshire is currently the state with the highest per capita alcohol consumption in the United States. Per capita alcohol consumption has increased since the mid-1990s with beer as the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage. The beer market in the U.S. was estimated to amount to almost 133 billion dollars by 2025.
Binge drinking
Although New Hampshire consumes the highest amount of alcohol per capita, it reports lower rates of binge drinking than other states. The states with the highest binge drinking rates include Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana. Binge drinking is typically defined as the consumption of 5 or more drinks within 2 hours for men and 4 or more drinks within 2 hours for woman. Binge drinking is the most common form of excessive alcohol use and is associated with serious risks.
Binge drinking risks
Health risks associated with binge drinking include cancer, chronic diseases such as liver disease and heart disease, alcohol dependence, and unintentional injury such as from car crashes. Although the dangers from drinking and driving are clear it remains a problem across the United States. In 2021, around 8.3 percent of those aged 21 to 25 reported driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in the preceding year.
