This map (via) purports to show the per-capita alcohol consumption of the United States state-by-state. In fact, in its full form, it also shows the per-capita consumption of most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The nice people at that website also very helpfully provide a chart that breaks it down into numbers for you (just below the maps). The conclusion: Luxembourg has the highest per-capita alcohol consumption rate in the world, followed by, of all places, the state of New Hampshire.
Oh, those boozehounds! Those lushy Luxemburgers, those grog-swilling Granite Staters! And they must be having an identity crisis in Ireland because they finished sixth, behind France and Nevada!
But wait…let’s look a little closer at this, shall we?
The U.S. map is based on data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and specifically a report they issued in 2004 on alcohol (ethanol) consumption from 1970-2004. There’s a lot of data on that page, but if you scroll all the way to the very bottom you’ll discover this citation: U.S. Apparent Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages Based on State Sales, Taxation, or Receipt Data. Washington, DC: NIAAA. NIH Publication No. 04-5563 (June 2004).
In other words, they made a direct correlation between the amount of alcohol SOLD and the amount of alcohol CONSUMED.
But what does virtually every person who lives in New England know about New Hampshire that the researchers didn’t seem to take into account? The giant state liquor stores strategically located on every major highway coming into the state, mere feet from the borders of their surrounding neighbors. For decades, New Englanders (and also more than a few vacationing New Yorkers and even Quebecois) have dutifully driven to the nearest New Hampshire border to buy cheap, tax-free booze. Every weekend you can see dozens of cars from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, etc. parked in the lots, loading up their trunks with case after case of beer, wine, and spirits.
So, while living in New Hampshire might very well drive a man to drink, I’m willing to say that this particular statistic is a bit skewed by this intervening variable. Whether the same thing is true for Nevada, I can’t say, but given the worldwide popularity of Las Vegas, it’s a pretty good bet that the numbers for that state are off as well.
So what’s up with Luxembourg?
