Laws regarding drunkenness were first made in 1619 in Virginia. Before this time, laws regarding drinking did not exist. Because alcohol use within Colonial America was common, many towns and settlements did not enact legislature against alcohol use, just "drunkenness" and disorderly conduct as a result of alcohol consumption. As drinking patterns have changed throughout American history, so have alcohol consumption statistics.
Beer: The Alcoholic Beverage of Choice
American drinking patterns have shown a rise in beer consumption. A 2006 Gallup poll of 1,007 respondents showed 41 percent of Americans prefer beer to wine, which earned a 33 percent ranking, followed by liquor, which earned a 23 percent ranking, as their alcoholic beverage of choice. According to an IRI Beer, Wine and Spirits Practice report Newcastle Brown Ale, Modelo Especial and Samuel Adams Seasonal were the highest beer brand performers in 2006 based on total U.S. supermarket sales.
Youth and Drinking
The average high school student has consumed at least one alcoholic beverage before his graduation. "Nearly four out of every five students (77 percent) have consumed alcohol by the end of high school," reports Monitoringthefuture.org. In 2003, 58 percent of seniors reported being "drunk" at least once in their life, with 48 percent reporting drinking alcohol within the previous 30 days. With the prevalent presence of alcohol in American high schools, up to 95 percent of seniors rank alcohol availability as high.
Alcohol and Gender
Alcohol consumption among men and women is not equal claims the online article, "Drinking: Men and Women are Unequal," by David J. Hanson, Ph.D. Based on research, Hanson answers this age-old question with staggering evidence. Men can tolerate disproportionately more alcohol, even in test groups with women of the same age, height and weight, than women, and when consumed, alcohol use among men proved to be disproportionately higher than among women. This is largely attributed to how alcohol is metabolized in the female body. According to Hanson, "Women absorb up to nearly 30 percent more alcohol into their bloodstream than men."
Injury and Death From Alcohol Use
According to Be Responsible About Drinking (B.R.A.D.), alcohol use is attributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths and injury per year. "Alcohol consumption by college students is linked to at least 1,400 student deaths and 500,000 unintentional injuries each year," reports the website. Of the reported deaths, many were attributed to falls, fires and burns, and drowning. Estimated to be as low as 13 percent and as high as 63 percent, accidental deaths from falls is just as prevalent as deaths from fire. With intoxicated people falling asleep or passing out before extinguishing a cigarette, the number of related deaths continues to rank high within the overall category. According to B.R.A.D., "Alcohol use is implicated in one-third of drownings." All together, these injuries and deaths account for approximately 8 percent of all ER visits per year.
Worldwide Ranking
According to Time.com, the U.S. ranks 40th in the world in alcohol consumption." This figure translates to enough alcohol for each American to have consumed 7 bottles of liquor, 12 bottles of wine and 230 cans of beer.
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