9%, District of Columbia -- 16.6%, Alaska -- 16.3%, Missouri -- 16.2%, Michigan -- 16.1%, Wyoming -- 16.1%, Vermont -- 16.1%, New Hampshire -- 16%, Texas -- 15.6%, Arizona -- 15.5%, New York -- 15.2%, Maine -- 14.9%, Connecticut -- 14.8%, California -- 14.7%, New Jersey -- 14.4%, Indiana -- 14.4%, Louisiana -- 14.2%, Washington -- 14.2%, Virginia -- 13.7%, Us Virgin Islands -- 13.6%, South Carolina -- 13.5%, Oregon -- 13.1%, New Mexico -- 13%, Oklahoma -- 13%, Maryland -- 12.8%, Kansas -- 12.8%, Alabama -- 12.7%, Idaho -- 12.6%, Florida -- 12.4%, Puerto Rico -- 12.2%, Georgia -- 12.1%, Arkansas -- 11.2%, Mississippi -- 10.4%, West Virginia -- 9.7%, Kentucky -- 9.6%, North Carolina -- 9.5%, Utah -- 9.2%, Tennessee -- 8.2%. The weighted average reached 14.8% (StateMaster, 2004). The consumption for beer, wine, and spirits is different from one state to another.

Beer consumption

The beer consumption in gallons by state for each person, and their rank is the following: Washington -- 20, rank 33, Oregon -- 23, rank 19, California -- 19, rank 40, Idaho -- 21, rank 36, Nevada -- 31, rank 2, Utah -- 12, rank 51, Arizona -- 24, rank 16, Montana -- 30, rank 4, Wyoming -- 26, rank 10, Colorado -- 23, rank 21, New Mexico -- 26, rank 13, South Dakota -- 27, rank 9, Nebraska -- 25, rank 17, Kansas -- 21, rank 41, Oklahoma -- 20, rank 43, Texas -- 25, rank 24, Minnesota -- 21, rank 29, Iowa -- 25, rank 23, Missouri -- 24, rank 25, Arkansas -- 20, rank 48, Louisiana -- 28, rank 8, Illinois -- 22, rank 27, Michigan -- 20, rank 38, Wisconsin -- 28, rank 7, Indiana -- 20, rank 45, Kentucky -- 19, rank 50, Tennessee -- 21, rank 39, Mississippi -- 25, rank 22, Alabama -- 22, rank 32, Ohio -- 23, rank 26, West Virginia -- 23, rank 31, Georgia -- 20, rank 42, Florida -- 24, rank 12, Maine, 23, rank 20, New Hampshire -- 32, rank 1, Vermont -- 23, rank 14, Massachusetts -- 20, rank 28, New York -- 17, rank 49, Pennsylvania -- 22, rank 37, Maryland -- 19, rank 46, Virginia -- 21, rank 34, North Carolina -- 22, rank 35, South Carolina -- 27, rank 11, Hawaii -- 24, rank 15, Alaska -- 23, rank 18 (Time Magazine, 2008).

Wine consumption

The wine consumption in gallons by state for each person, and their rank is the following: Washington -- 3, rank 14, Oregon -- 3, rank 12, California -- 3, rank 9, Idaho -- 2, rank 24, Nevada -- 4, rank 3, Utah -- 1, rank 49, Arizona -- 2, rank 21, Montana -- 2, rank 20, Wyoming -- 2, rank 34, Colorado -- 3, rank 18, New Mexico -- 2, rank 32, South Dakota -- 1, rank 43, Nebraska -- 1, rank 39, Kansas -- 1, rank 48, Oklahoma -- 1, rank 44, Texas -- 1, rank 38, Minnesota -- 2, rank 26, Iowa -- 1, rank 45, Missouri -- 2, rank 27, Arkansas -- 1, rank 46, Louisiana -- 2, rank 30, Illinois -- 2, rank 22, Michigan -- 2, rank 29, Wisconsin -- 2, rank 25, Indiana -- 2, rank 37, Kentucky -- 1, rank 47, Tennessee -- 1, rank 42, Mississippi -- 1, rank 50, Alabama -- 1, rank 40, Ohio -- 2, rank 35, West Virginia -- 1, rank 51, Georgia -- 2, rank 33, Florida -- 3, rank 13, Maine - 3, rank 17, New Hampshire -- 5, rank 2, Vermont -- 4, rank 6, Massachusetts -- 4, rank 4, New York -- 3, rank 15, Pennsylvania -- 2, rank 36, Maryland -- 2, rank 23, Virginia -- 2, rank 19, North Carolina -- 2, rank 28, South Carolina -- 2, rank 31, Hawaii -- 3, rank 11, Alaska -- 3, rank 16.

Spirits consumption

The spirits consumption in gallons by state for each person, and their rank is the following: Washington -- 1, rank 27, Oregon -- 2, rank 19, California -- 1, rank 30, Idaho -- 1, rank 37, Nevada -- 3, rank 3, Utah -- 1, rank 51, Arizona -- 2, rank 22, Montana -- 2, rank 15, Wyoming -- 2, rank 6, Colorado -- 2, rank 10, New Mexico -- 1, rank 34, South Dakota -- 2, rank 20, Nebraska -- 1, rank 29, Kansas -- 1, rank 41, Oklahoma -- 1, rank 49, Texas -- 1, rank 48, Minnesota -- 2, rank 9, Iowa -- 1, rank 36, Missouri -- 2, rank 24, Arkansas -- 1, rank 38, Louisiana -- 1, rank 31, Illinois -- 1, rank 26, Michigan -- 2, rank 21, Wisconsin -- 2, rank 5, Indiana -- 1, rank 33, Kentucky -- 1, rank 40, Tennessee -- 1, rank 44, Mississippi -- 1, rank 35, Alabama -- 1, rank 47, Ohio -- 1, rank 45, West Virginia -- 1, rank 50, Georgia -- 1, rank 39, Florida -- 2, rank 11, Maine - 2, rank 17, New Hampshire -- 4, rank 1, Vermont -- 1, rank 28, Massachusetts -- 2, rank 12, New York -- 1, rank 32, Pennsylvania -- 1, rank 42, Maryland -- 2, rank 18, Virginia -- 1, rank 43, North Carolina -- 1, rank 46, South Carolina -- 2, rank 23, Hawaii -- 1, rank 25, Alaska -- 2, rank 7.

4. Alcohol consumption among college-age individuals

Alcohol consumption levels were reported as being the following:

Abstainer -- 47.3%

Light consumption -- 26.2%

Moderate consumption -- 19.5%

Heavier...

Also, the alcohol consumption attributed to college-age individuals is higher than the total average.
The reasons behind this situation rely on the causes that determine college students to drink so much. The categories of students that are responsible for the highest levels of alcohol consumption are represented by: males, whites, members of fraternities and sororities, athletes, and some of the first-year students.

In opposition, students who do not share the same increased appetite for alcohol are represented by individuals who attend: 2-year institutions, religious schools, commuter schools, historically black colleges and universities. Also, alcohol consumption seems to be inhibited by a competitive school environment. Categories of students that reported lower alcohol consumption levels also include a large percentage of students aged 24 or older, and a larger percentage of students whose parents have a college education.

Alcohol consumption seems to be related with living arrangements also, where college age individuals are concerned. For example, students who live in fraternity and sorority houses have reported the highest drinking rates. The majority of these students can be categorized as binge drinkers. Similar drinking rates have been reported in the case of students who live in on-campus housing.

In comparison, students who live off-site drink less. Even more, commuting students who live with their families drink the least.

However, an interesting fact has occurred in the past few years with the drinking behavior of students. The alcohol consumption among off-site students has increased, while the alcohol consumption of on-site students has decreased. This is a reverse drinking behavior of the regular one, described above.

This is probably because drinking has been restricted in some campuses in order to reduce the problems related to alcohol abuse. As a result, students who lived in campuses and used to drink large amounts of alcohol moved outside the campuses, therefore increasing alcohol consumption off-site.

The areas in which alcohol consumption is rather high among students share a series of similarities. For example, such a drinking behavior has been reported mainly in colleges and universities situated in the Northeast.

Also, excessive drinking seems to be more common in learning institutions where sports teams play a very important role. High alcohol consumption also tends to be a custom in colleges and universities dominated by Greek systems, like fraternities and sororities.

In addition to this, alcohol consumption among college students shows other trends also. For example, the most exposed category…