Normally being grouped in with our neighbors to the North would make us need a morning drink, but today, we can take pride in the fact that both us and the Canucks imbibe 50% more booze per person, per year than the rest of the world according to a study conducted by Canada's Center for Addiction and Health. Americans consume on average 2.5 gallons of booze per person over the course of a year while Canadians put back 2.6 gallons of booze per person. Considering America's population is larger and our drinking age is 21 years-old – Canada's is 19 – the edge goes to 'Merica in yet another reason why we're better than the Canadians.
But before we pat ourselves on the back, we have work to do in order to overcome the world leaders in drinking. Yes, Russia leads the pack, taking down a whopping 4 gallons of grandpa's cough syrup per person per year awarding them the global lushes. Of course, if our winters felt like hell and we had meteors coming through our backyard, we might drink with more conviction as well.
Other fun facts from the study:
- Drinkers in Europe and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa are the world's heaviest consumers of alcohol, on average.
- People in Eastern Europe and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa consumed alcohol in the unhealthiest manner, as they frequently consumed large quantities, drank to intoxication, engaged in prolonged binges, and consumed alcohol mainly outside of meals.
- People in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia consumed the least amount of alcohol.
- North Americans in general, and Canadians in particular drink more than 50 per cent above the global average, and show a more detrimental drinking pattern than most EU countries, with more bingeing.
We're feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all of these statistics, it's time for our morning cocktail.
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