OCBob
VIPER POWERED
New Year's Day 1916 was rough for Colorado residents looking for a little hair of the dog. On that Saturday, the state stopped all liquor sales, predating Prohibition by 4 years. Today, Colorado once again leads the nation in its attitude toward alcohol — but now, the mandate seems to be "drink till you drop." In our second ranking of urban inebriation, Aurora comes in 82nd, Colorado Springs finishes 98th, and, once again, Denver is Most Dangerously Drunk.
We looked at annual death rates due to alcoholic liver disease, as well as who's headed there by regularly downing five or more drinks in a sitting (CDC). Next, we factored in drunk-driving arrests (FBI) and the percentage of fatal accidents involving intoxicated motorists (U.S. Department of Transportation). Then, after tallying the MADD report card of state efforts to cut down on excessive drinking, we had our ranking and, for the state of Colorado, an invitation to AA.
The list below ranks the cities from most dangerously drunk to least dangerously drunk.
Most Dangerously Drunk
100. Denver, CO F
99. Anchorage, AK F
98. Colorado Springs, CO F
97. Omaha, NE F
96. Fargo, ND F
95. San Antonio, TX F
94. Austin, TX F
93. Fresno, CA F
92. Lubbock, TX F
91. Milwaukee, WI F
90. El Paso, TX F
89. Spokane, WA F
88. Washington, DC F
87. Columbia, SC F
86. St. Louis, MO D-
85. Bakersfield, CA D-
84. San Diego, CA D
83. Cheyenne, WY D
82. Aurora, CO D
81. Houston, TX D
80. Portland, OR D
79. Seattle, WA D
78. Boise, ID D
77. Tucson, AZ D+
76. Dallas, TX D+
75. Jacksonville, FL D+
74. Toledo, OH D+
73. Madison, WI D+
72. Oakland, CA D+
71. Modesto, CA D+
70. Billings, MT D+
69. Fremont, CA D+
68. Oklahoma City, OK D+
67. San Francisco, CA D+
66. Sacramento, CA D+
65. Los Angeles, CA D+
64. Phoenix, AZ D+
63. Albuquerque, NM D+
62. Chicago, IL D+
61. Providence, RI D+
60. Fort Wayne, IN C-
59. Manchester, NH C-
58. Charleston, WV C-
57. Burlington, VT C-
56. Lincoln, NE C-
55. Corpus Christi, TX C-
54. Des Moines, IA C-
53. Indianapolis, IN C-
52. Pittsburgh, PA C-
51. Honolulu, HI C-
50. St. Paul, MN C
49. Tampa, FL C
48. Greensboro, NC C
47. Las Vegas, NV C
46. Baltimore, MD C
45. Riverside, CA C
44. Norfolk, VA C
43. Detroit, MI C+
42. Arlington, TX C+
41. Grand Rapids, MI C+
40. San Jose, CA C+
39. St. Petersburg, FL C+
38. Nashville, TN C+
37. Charlotte, NC C+
36. Wilmington, DE C+
35. Orlando, FL C+
34. Minneapolis, MN C+
33. Kansas City, MO C+
32. Fort Worth, TX C+
31. Tulsa, OK C+
30. Anaheim, CA B-
29. Wichita, KS B-
28. Lexington, KY B-
27. Philadelphia, PA B-
26. Montgomery, AL B-
25. Rochester, NY B-
24. Raleigh, NC B
23. Cincinnati, OH B
22. Louisville, KY B
21. Bangor, ME B
20. Memphis, TN B
19. Boston, MA B
18. Hartford, CT B+
17. Sioux Falls, SD B+
16. Birmingham, AL B+
15. Baton Rouge, LA B+
14. Columbus, OH B+
13. Cleveland, OH B+
12. Atlanta, GA B+
11. Newark, NJ B+
Least Dangerously Drunk
10. Jersey City, NJ B+
9. Richmond, VA B+
8. New York, NY B+
7. Little Rock, AR A-
6. Salt lake City, UT A-
5. Yonkers, NY A-
4. Jackson, MS A
3. Buffalo, NY A
2. Miami, FL A
1. Durham, NC A+
Last Call
Studies show that state laws that put strict limits on where and when alcohol can be sold help cut the number of booze-induced trips to the E.R. — and the morgue. That's because self-destructive drinkers tend to buy alcohol impulsively and at late hours. Go to alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov to see if your state could use a stronger stance.
Deputize Yourself
Roughly 1.4 million people are arrested for DUIs each year, but Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that for every driver cuffed, another 88 are never pulled over. Use your cell phone to lower that number. Besides the obvious indicators of intoxication, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also cites subtler signs, such as someone making extra-wide turns, going straight through a turn-only lane, or driving with his or her face close to the windshield. If the clues accumulate, make the call. (In many states, 311 is nonemergency dispatch.)
We looked at annual death rates due to alcoholic liver disease, as well as who's headed there by regularly downing five or more drinks in a sitting (CDC). Next, we factored in drunk-driving arrests (FBI) and the percentage of fatal accidents involving intoxicated motorists (U.S. Department of Transportation). Then, after tallying the MADD report card of state efforts to cut down on excessive drinking, we had our ranking and, for the state of Colorado, an invitation to AA.
The list below ranks the cities from most dangerously drunk to least dangerously drunk.
Most Dangerously Drunk
100. Denver, CO F
99. Anchorage, AK F
98. Colorado Springs, CO F
97. Omaha, NE F
96. Fargo, ND F
95. San Antonio, TX F
94. Austin, TX F
93. Fresno, CA F
92. Lubbock, TX F
91. Milwaukee, WI F
90. El Paso, TX F
89. Spokane, WA F
88. Washington, DC F
87. Columbia, SC F
86. St. Louis, MO D-
85. Bakersfield, CA D-
84. San Diego, CA D
83. Cheyenne, WY D
82. Aurora, CO D
81. Houston, TX D
80. Portland, OR D
79. Seattle, WA D
78. Boise, ID D
77. Tucson, AZ D+
76. Dallas, TX D+
75. Jacksonville, FL D+
74. Toledo, OH D+
73. Madison, WI D+
72. Oakland, CA D+
71. Modesto, CA D+
70. Billings, MT D+
69. Fremont, CA D+
68. Oklahoma City, OK D+
67. San Francisco, CA D+
66. Sacramento, CA D+
65. Los Angeles, CA D+
64. Phoenix, AZ D+
63. Albuquerque, NM D+
62. Chicago, IL D+
61. Providence, RI D+
60. Fort Wayne, IN C-
59. Manchester, NH C-
58. Charleston, WV C-
57. Burlington, VT C-
56. Lincoln, NE C-
55. Corpus Christi, TX C-
54. Des Moines, IA C-
53. Indianapolis, IN C-
52. Pittsburgh, PA C-
51. Honolulu, HI C-
50. St. Paul, MN C
49. Tampa, FL C
48. Greensboro, NC C
47. Las Vegas, NV C
46. Baltimore, MD C
45. Riverside, CA C
44. Norfolk, VA C
43. Detroit, MI C+
42. Arlington, TX C+
41. Grand Rapids, MI C+
40. San Jose, CA C+
39. St. Petersburg, FL C+
38. Nashville, TN C+
37. Charlotte, NC C+
36. Wilmington, DE C+
35. Orlando, FL C+
34. Minneapolis, MN C+
33. Kansas City, MO C+
32. Fort Worth, TX C+
31. Tulsa, OK C+
30. Anaheim, CA B-
29. Wichita, KS B-
28. Lexington, KY B-
27. Philadelphia, PA B-
26. Montgomery, AL B-
25. Rochester, NY B-
24. Raleigh, NC B
23. Cincinnati, OH B
22. Louisville, KY B
21. Bangor, ME B
20. Memphis, TN B
19. Boston, MA B
18. Hartford, CT B+
17. Sioux Falls, SD B+
16. Birmingham, AL B+
15. Baton Rouge, LA B+
14. Columbus, OH B+
13. Cleveland, OH B+
12. Atlanta, GA B+
11. Newark, NJ B+
Least Dangerously Drunk
10. Jersey City, NJ B+
9. Richmond, VA B+
8. New York, NY B+
7. Little Rock, AR A-
6. Salt lake City, UT A-
5. Yonkers, NY A-
4. Jackson, MS A
3. Buffalo, NY A
2. Miami, FL A
1. Durham, NC A+
Last Call
Studies show that state laws that put strict limits on where and when alcohol can be sold help cut the number of booze-induced trips to the E.R. — and the morgue. That's because self-destructive drinkers tend to buy alcohol impulsively and at late hours. Go to alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov to see if your state could use a stronger stance.
Deputize Yourself
Roughly 1.4 million people are arrested for DUIs each year, but Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that for every driver cuffed, another 88 are never pulled over. Use your cell phone to lower that number. Besides the obvious indicators of intoxication, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also cites subtler signs, such as someone making extra-wide turns, going straight through a turn-only lane, or driving with his or her face close to the windshield. If the clues accumulate, make the call. (In many states, 311 is nonemergency dispatch.)
