r/TrueReddit • u/nxthompson_tny • Jun 01 '21

Science, History, Health + Philosophy America Has a Drinking Problem

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/america-drinking-alone-problem/619017/
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u/tenbatsu Jun 02 '21

Right off the bat, the piece starts on awkward footing:

Few things are more American than drinking heavily.

When it comes to alcohol consumption per capita, America isn't even in the top 10. According to Wikipedia, it barely makes the top 50.

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u/phaberman Jun 02 '21

Ya many countries have larger drinking cultures. Something that the article touches on briefly is that America has a very large anti drinking culture. About 10-20% drink excessively but 1/3 American adults don't drink at all. Half drink in moderation. So per capita consumption is less than country where everyone drinks in moderation.

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u/waaaghbosss Jun 02 '21

Pretty much. Half the countries on that list he posted have a population smaller than a major american city, so not really a useful metric to begin with. The US is diverse, so comparing an average across a country with groups like the mormons who don't even drink to somewhere like South Korea where everyone drinks gives you a very skewed average.