Michiganders drank more than the CDC defines as 'heavy drinking' in 2020, according to survey

Feb 5, 2021 at 11:36 am
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click to enlarge Michiganders drank more than the CDC defines as 'heavy drinking' in 2020, according to survey
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Michiganders coped with the pandemic by drinking about 18 alcoholic drinks a week on average in 2020 — which is more than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider to be "heavy drinking."

That's according to a survey by DrugAbuse.com, which surveyed more than 3,500 adults over the age of 21 in January.

The CDC considers heavy drinking to be more than 14 drinks per week over the past year for men, and more than 7 drinks per week for women.

A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol), 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol) or 1.5 ounces of liquor (40% alcohol).

Michiganders didn't have it as bad as Alaskans, who consumed the most with an average of 27 standard drinks per week. Meanwhile, residents in Hawaii and New Hampshire had just 10 drinks per week – the lowest figures reported.

A separate survey by American Addiction Centers found that 1 in 5 people unemployed due to the pandemic said they turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.

All those drinks led the average drinker to spend 112 hours hungover during the pandemic. Ouch.

If you're struggling with alcoholism, you can call 877-261-0838 or visit DrugAbuse.com.

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