Arizona among states with fewest heavy drinkers, study shows
Nov 27, 2017, 10:33 AM | Updated: 11:45 am
PHOENIX — When it comes to drinking, Arizona is in the bottom half of states as measured by a percentage of adults who are heavy drinkers, a study showed.
A report from 24/7 Wall Street stated that 16 percent of adults in Arizona are “binge or heavy drinkers,” which was the 12th-lowest in the nation, according to Centers for Disease Control data.
CDC data also measured the costs of excessive alcohol consumption by state, and Arizona’s total amount was about $5.9 billion. Per capita ($930), that was the seventh-highest amount in the nation.
The report also included figures on which city in each state was the “drunkest,” as measured by the percentage of adults who are binge or heavy drinkers. That city for the Grand Canyon State? Flagstaff.
Of the seven metro areas in Arizona, Flagstaff is home to the largest share of adults who drink to excess. Some 19.4% of adults in the Flagstaff metro area are either heavy or binge drinkers. In comparison, only 16.0% of adults statewide and 18.0% of American adults over consume alcohol.
Heavier drinking areas tend to be better educated, and Flagstaff is no exception. Some 35.4% of adults in the metro area have earned a bachelor’s degree. Across Arizona, only 28.9% of adults have a four year college education.
Arizona’s percentage of driving deaths that were related to alcohol was reportedly 24.1 percent, which was in the bottom quarter of states.
