WASHINGTON — Compared to states, the District ranks No. 2 for the percentage of adults who consume alcohol and No. 1 for the percentage of heavy drinkers, according to Detox.net, an online resource for alcohol abuse treatment programs.
According to the study, 65.9 percent of adults in D.C. have had at least one drink in the past month, second only to Wisconsin’s 67.3 percent. The study was based on data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which collects health-related data from phone interviews.
The study also says 11.1 percent of D.C. adults are what it labels heavy drinkers, consuming more than two drinks daily for men and more than one drink daily for women.
The District also topped the list for the highest percentage of binge drinkers — men who have had five or more drinks, four or more for women, on at least one occasion in the past month — at 25.5 percent.
Detox.net says approximately one in eight Americans is struggling with alcohol abuse, with particularly troubling increases among women and minorities.
The study also examines drinking habits by education level, income level and age.