Millions of people visit the quaint and creative city of Asheville each year. It’s well-known for its picturesque scenery, historical sites, and cultural activities.
However, it is also well known for having some of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the country and state.
This article will discuss the amount of alcohol consumed in Asheville, as well as any potential causes and effects of this trend. You won’t believe how much booze Asheville, North Carolina, residents consume!
The Study of Alcohol Consumption in Asheville
WalletHub’s study looked at 182 US cities based on 20 signs of heavy drinking, such as the number of binge drinking incidents, deaths linked to alcohol, DUI arrests, and alcohol fees.
The study also looked at things like how easy it is to get and how much it costs to drink, how many and what kinds of bars and clubs there are, and how drinking affects society and the economy.
With 64.4 out of 100 points, the study found that Asheville was the place where people drank too much. Furthermore, Asheville had the highest percentage of adults drinking too much (26.2%), the highest percentage of alcohol-related driving deaths (50%), and the highest number of small breweries and wineries per million people.
The Reasons For Asheville’s High Alcohol Use
The reasons why so many people in Asheville drink alcohol. A lot of people drink alcohol in Asheville, and there are a lot of scenarios that could explain this. Here are some of these things:
Socioeconomic status: Asheville is a wealthy and growing city. The typical family income is $51,430, which is more than the average for the state of $54,602.
More alcohol is drunk by people with higher incomes because they have more money to spend on drinks and social events that involve alcohol.
Demographics: Asheville’s population is varied and changing. As of 2019, an estimated 92,870 people were living there. 77% of the people are white, 12% are black, 6% are Hispanic, and 2% are Asian. People in the city are also young and smart.
The median age is 38.4 years, and 41.9% of people have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Younger, better-educated people drink more alcohol than older, less-educated people because they are more likely to hang out with friends in places where booze is available and okay.
Culture: Asheville has a lively and varied culture, with lots of events and sites that both tourists and locals enjoy.
People visit the city for its food, art, and music scenes, as well as its outdoor activities and health benefits. The city also has a lively nighttime scene, with more than 100 bars, breweries, and wineries serving a range of drinking drinks and entertainment.
These cultural factors may affect how much people drink, as they may drink more to party, unwind, or hang out with friends.
Asheville’s High Alcohol Consumption Effects
Some health benefits may come from drinking alcohol in moderation, like lowering the chance of heart disease and stroke. However, drinking too much can have many bad effects on both the person and society as a whole. Here are a few of these effects:
Chronic diseases: Drinking too much alcohol can hurt many body parts and functions, like the liver, stomach, brain, heart, and immune system. This can cause long-term health problems like cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, dementia, and heart problems.
These diseases can make life less enjoyable and shorter, and they can also put more stress on the healthcare system.
Injuries: Drinking too much alcohol can make a person less smart, less coordinated, and slower to respond, which makes them more likely to get hurt or involved in an accident. Some of these are car accidents, falls, drowning, burns, and violence.
A lot of people die in car accidents, murders, and deaths in the United States. Alcohol is a factor in all of these events. These accidents can lead to death, disability, and mental pain, as well as costs for people, families, and society as a whole.
Violence: People who drink too much alcohol are more likely to be violent or aggressive, whether they are the aggressor or the target. People who drink too much alcohol may lose their inhibitions, act more impulsively, and be less able to settle disagreements quietly.
Domestic violence, sexual attacks, child abuse, and other types of violence between people can happen because of this. Besides that, alcohol can also make riots, terrorism, and war more likely. These kinds of violence can hurt people physically and mentally and make society and the government less stable.
Solution for Asheville’s High Alcohol Consumption
Addressing Asheville’s excessive alcohol consumption necessitates a diversified approach:
- Putting rules in place and implementing them to limit alcohol supply, such as raising taxes, lowering outlet density, and limiting sales hours.
- Providing and promoting preventative and treatment programs that address root causes and outcomes, such as mental health, substance addiction, and trauma.
- Educating the public and policymakers on the dangers and costs of binge drinking, as well as the advantages and techniques for drinking in moderation.
- Supporting the growth and diversification of the city’s economy, culture, and recreation to diminish alcohol’s dominance.