Houston has one of the country’s highest percentages of drinkers, according to a new study by an alcohol abuse resource site alcohol.org. It joins with a group of other cities across Texas that unwillingly made it on the list.
About the Study
Researchers compared census figures and data from the public information site City-Data, which lists the cities with the highest percentage of people who do not drink. Houston and all other cities in Texas did not make the top 50 rankings on this list. By inverting the percentage of non-drinkers, the researchers determined the rate of drinkers. For example, the study found that 10.4% of Houston residents do not drink, meaning that 89.6% of them do drink. The findings were released on Alcohol.org.
Texas Rankings
The state claimed 12 out of 50 cities with the lowest percentage of people who do not drink, which means that there were more people in these cities who drank than did not drink. Cities that made the rankings for the highest percentages of drinkers in Texas and their ranking number include the following:
- Laredo – 4
- Austin – 5
- Plano – 10
- Dallas – 14
- Irving – 15
- El Paso – 16
- San Antonio – 22
- Houston – 24
- Fort Worth – 29
- Corpus Christi – 31
- Garland – 35
- Lubbock – 37
Of the ten most populous cities in the state, only Arlington did not make the list. Texas also claimed the highest number of slots on the list.
Factors that Affect the Rankings
The study did not consider the volume of drinking that each city encounters. Therefore, alcoholics and social drinkers who only drink on special occasions are measured the same. Researchers noted that cities with the lowest drinking percentages tended to be located near beaches and large bodies of water. For example, Honolulu has the highest number of non-drinkers at 21.2%. In contrast, cities with the highest percentages of drinkers were located in the hot Southwest. Arizona had the largest number of cities on the top ten of the list. Gilbert, Arizona had the highest percentage of drinkers, according to the list.
Problems with Excessive Alcohol
Texas must be careful in encouraging its population to drink to excess. Drunk drivers continue to be a problem throughout the state. 1,438 people were killed in 2016 alcohol-related collisions in which the driver was under the influence of alcohol, according to Texas advocacy site, the Right Step. Overall, this made up 38.1% of all vehicular fatalities in the state. Approximately 33.1% of these fatalities impacted people 21 or younger. The trend continued when approximately 56% of young adult crashes in 2017 involved alcohol and 33% of DWI fatalities impacted those 21 and younger. Nearly 70% of the alcohol-related crashes in 2016 involved drivers with a BAC of .15 percent or higher. Many of the cities with the highest rate of these collisions are included on the list of the highest percentage of drinkers, with Houston leading this number, followed by San Antonio, Dallas and Austin.
If you or a loved one was injured by a drunk driver, you have the right to pursue compensation for the damages that you incurred. With rideshare options, designated drivers and widespread knowledge of the risks of drunk driving, there is no excuse for someone to get behind the wheel while they are intoxicated. Our dedicated lawyers can review your claim and explain all of your legal options. Contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation case review.
