Which Are The Drunkest States In America?

Here are some pretty sobering statistics: American alcohol consumption has been steadily rising over the past couple of decades, and the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said in their annual report this year that the average American aged 14 and older drank 2.33 gallons of alcohol in 2012. So which American regions and states are the drunkest? The western region of the United States comes in at number one, with the average Western American  consuming 2.42 gallons of alcohol per year. But when it comes down to individual states, the answers may surprise you.

The driest state, not surprisingly is, Utah, with only 1.37 gallons of alcohol consumed per capita, followed by West Virginia and Arkansas, who tied at 1.81 gallons of alcohol consumed. When it came to the drunkest state in the union, New Hampshire was the runaway winner (or loser, depending on how you look at it), with 4.65 gallons of alcohol consumed per capita. New Hampshire also drank the most beer and spirits in America in 2012. New Hampshirites drank almost one gallon more than the second place drunkest state, Delaware, with 3.59 gallons of alcohol consumed. Idaho slugged the most wine  at 1.02 gallons per year.

Here's the full list:

50. Utah-1.37

49. West Virginia-1.81

48. Arkansas-1.81

47. Kentucky-1.87

46. Oklahoma-1.94

45. Kansas-1.95

44. Indiana-1.97

43. Georgia-1.99

42. Tennessee-2.00

41. Alabama-2.00

40. Ohio-2.03

39. North Carolina-2.05

38. Virginia-2.13

37. New York-2.17

36. Mississippi-2.20

35. Maryland-2.21

34. Washington-2.25

33. Pennsylvania-2.26

32. Texas-2.28

31. Michigan-2.29

30. Nebraska-2.32

29. South Carolina-2.33

28. California-2.35

27. New Mexico-2.36

26. Illinois-2.36

25. New Jersey-2.39

24. Iowa-2.39

23. Connecticut- 2.39

22. Missouri-2.42

21. Arizona-2.43

20. Hawaii-2.54

19. Massachusetts- 2.57

18. Louisiana-2.60

17. Oregon-2.65

16. Maine- 2.65

15. Wyoming-2.67

14. Minnesota- 2.70

13. Rhode Island-2.72

12. Florida-2.72

11. South Dakota-2.76

10. Idaho-2.76

9. Colorado -2.76

8. Alaska-2.82

7. Vermont-2.92

6. Montana-2.96

5. Wisconsin-3.00

4. Nevada-3.27

3. North Dakota- 3.42

2. Delaware-3.59

1. New Hampshire- 4.65