New York City Has A Drinking Problem

Despite Mayor Bloomberg's best efforts to curb alcohol sales, New Yorkers are still partying — sometimes until it's nearly deadly — and alcohol-related hospitalizations in New York City continue to rise.

In 2009, The New York Times reports, nearly 8,840 hospitailzations were related to alcohol. That's a 36 percent rise since 2000. Emergency-room visits have also become even more frequent, with nearly 70,000 in 2009 alone.

Bloomberg's plan to reduce the amount of "alcohol retail outlets" in Manhattan and outer boroughs has been widely debated by many. While some argue that Bloomberg is trying to control retail outlets, others say his steps are needed to crack down on binge drinking. And he's hardly the only one: The New York Times makes note of two recent attempts to curtail alcohol at new establishments, the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the proposed gastro pub by Amy Sacco in Chelsea. No matter what, it seems the boozehounds of NYC are about to sober up.