Not to be a buzz-kill, but Colorado, you drink too much.
On average, Coloradans drink 19 percent more beer, wine and liquor than tipplers in the rest of the country.
Only four other states have a higher per-capita consumption: Alaska, Delaware, Nevada and Wisconsin, according to a 2007 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The average American — age 14 and older — consumed about 2.26 gallons of alcohol a year, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The Mile High City’s nationally known revelry on St. Patrick’s Day notwithstanding, Colorado has a hardy reputation for tipping the glass.
Men’s Health magazine dubbed Denver America’s drunkest city in 2004 and 2007. In the latter assessment, Colorado Springs came in as the third-drunkest city, and Aurora was the 19th drunkest city.
And the tab doesn’t always stop at the bar.
The Colorado State Patrol alone makes more than 9,000 DUI arrests a year.
According to the advocacy group Arrive Alive, a first-time drunken-driving arrest in Colorado costs about $10,000, including bail, fines, fees and increased insurance costs. A second arrest results in higher costs and a mandatory minimum of 10 days in jail.
About 6 percent of the U.S. population, about 12.6 million people, are considered heavy drinkers, and such excessive drinking kills more than 100,000 people a year, according to the University of Colorado Hospital’s Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation.
Nearly 1 in 3 children has a parent addicted to alcohol or drugs, and those children are more than three times more likely to face physical or verbal abuse, according to the center.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
