Illinoisans Love to Binge Drink: Report

Image Courtesy of Detox.net

Cheers to you, Illinois, but which beer is that you’re on? Fifth? Sixth? Already?

Illinoisans love to binge drink—so much so that they put the state among the top 5 in the nation known for its residents’ tendency to go all out and drink up, fast.

In its report “Drinking in America,” Detox.net analyzed America’s alcohol consumption from 2011 to 2013 across different states, charting states where folks are most likely to drink, at what age drinking peaks, and states with the most heavy drinkers.

Wisconsin—which also nabbed honors for state with the most drinkers—tops the list of binge-drinking states, followed by North Dakota, Washington D.C., Iowa and Illinois. Apparently midwesterners live in what’s called the “Binge-Drinking Belt.” Four of the five states known for the habit are in the midwest: Wisconsin (24 percent of residents binge drink), North Dakota (23.9), Iowa (22.17), and Illinois (22.13). Washington, D.C. snuck in there for the third spot.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 17 percent of Americans do it—some guzzling drinks as the quickest way to feel a “buzz,” relieve stress, or prove social status.

It’s estimated that about half the alcohol consumed by Americans is consumed while binge drinking. Binge drinking is more common among young people, but don’t think older people abstain. They do it, too, and more often. People might binge-drink more, based on various factors in a state, including local customs, local laws, religious affiliations, and universities in the area. Binge drinking has its dangers, warns Detox.net, including heightened tolerance and development of alcohol tolerance and dependence.

When it comes to ”heavy” drinking though—described as men drinking more than two alcoholic beverages per day and women drinking more than one alcoholic beverage per day—Illinois doesn’t make the list. Wisconsin, Washington D.C, Vermont, and Montana claim the top spots.

Read more in the report.