Research & Resources

Researchers sought to determine if climate could affect drinking behavior. They used epidemiological data from all 50 states and 192 other countries to examine the relationship between climate, alcohol use, and cirrhosis. Their data show that people who live in colder climates with fewer hours of sunshine have higher levels of alcohol consumption as well as binge and heavy drinking. This increased drinking leads to more consequences, such as higher levels of alcoholic cirrhosis. These results show a global pattern and were true within the United States and all countries they measured. The study, “Colder weather and fewer sunlight hours increase alcohol consumption and alcoholic cirrhosis worldwide,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and published in the journal Hepatology.