2020 was undeniably the toughest and most stressful year in recent memory.  The unfortunate fact is that a lot of people turned to alcohol when times got tough.

For the state of South Dakota, the CDC describes residents as "heavy drinkers."  Why?  Well... a new survey from DrugAbuse.com concludes that the average South Dakotan consumed 873 "standard size" drinks in 2020.  This is the equivalent of 17 drinks a week.

DrugAbuse.com surveyed 3,000 drinkers (over the age of 21) about the number of drinks they consumed throughout any given week during 2020.  According to the CDC, they define 'heavy drinking' as "more than 14 drinks per week over the past year for men and more than 7 drinks per week for women. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol), 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol), or 1.5 ounces of liquor (40% alcohol)."  The national average of drinks men consumed in a week was 17 while the women’s average was documented at 16 drinks per week. So South Dakota is right on target with this...

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These numbers appear to be a little shocking.  However, South Dakota residents did not drink the most alcohol.  Alaska residents consumed an average of 27 standard drinks a week during the pandemic lockdown. Two states registered the least amount of drinks in one week at 10: New Hampshire and Hawaii.

Since South Dakotans may like to enjoy a drink or more than a few on occasion, some residents may also have the joy of experiencing a hangover.  DrugAbuse.com discovered that the average American spent 112 hours hungover throughout the pandemic.

A little tip: Drink plenty of water when you're actively drinking.  Might not be a bad idea to eat a full meal as well.  Oh...and don't forget about the aspirin.

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