Alcohol is a major part of Indiana’s culture. Its booming craft brewery industry have given rise to things such as Statewide Stout Day and unique brewery tours. However, all of that alcohol consumption has major consequences when people decide to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Here are the counties of Indiana with the highest rates of excessive drinking – and the dangers that come with it.
The counties with the biggest drinking problems
A study surveyed residents of Indiana to determine which counties have the largest percentage of heavy drinkers. The results found that Newton County, along the Illinois border, was number one statewide. 25% of the county’s residents admitted to heavy or binge drinking.
Next came Ripley County, near the Ohio border. Their heavy drinking rate was 24%. In third place, Dubois county reports 23% of adults who binge drink.
For the purposes of the study, the definition of heavy or binge drinking is consuming four or five alcoholic drinks in a single occasion or drinking more than one or two drinks every day.
Problems that result from excessive drinking
According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 90,000 people are killed from excessive alcohol consumption each year. Indiana ranks number 34 in the nation in terms of states with the highest alcohol abuse problems. Statewide, 16.8% of adults admit to excessive drinking.
Alcohol abuse is devastating for the drinker’s individual health, as it can lead to death on average 30 years earlier than for those who do not drink. However, other people around the drinker are often the ones who end up paying the price for it. Impaired driving causes far too many catastrophic injuries every year, and many of these accidents result in death.
If you or someone you know has suffered serious injuries due to the impaired driving of someone else, you have options. You can bring a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party to seek compensation for your medical bills, property damage and other damages you may have suffered.