Study Links Colder, Darker Climates to Heavy Drinking

Colder, Darker Climates Could Lead to Heavy Drinking New research has revealed a link between binge drinking and average temperature. 193 countries provided data that showed higher incidences of liver disease and alcoholism in colder climates. Alcohol abuse in colder climates could be linked to seasonal depression. Alcohol increases blood flow and relaxes blood vessels. This is the first study that systematically demonstrates that worldwide and in America, in colder areas and areas with less sun, you have more drinking and more alcoholic cirrhosis. We now have new evidence that the weather, and in particular the temperature and amount of sunlight that we are exposed to, has a strong influence on how much alcohol we consume.