Americans double their drinking during the holidays

By Beth Newhart

- Last updated on GMT

Americans spend an average of $241 per month on social events, but that doubles during the holidays. Pic: ©GettyImages/DragonImages
Americans spend an average of $241 per month on social events, but that doubles during the holidays. Pic: ©GettyImages/DragonImages

Related tags Alcohol Alcohol consumption Holiday season Christmas

The average American sees a 100% increase in their alcoholic drinking habits between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, according to a new study.

About 69% of people are more likely to socialize and overindulge during this time of year than any other.

With the holidays comes an increase in social functions, holiday parties and dinners out, which inevitably leads to more alcohol consumption for most adults. The average US adult was found to double their intake of booze between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, according to a survey of 2,000 Americans.

The survey determined that the most popular seasonal drinks among participants are eggnog (40%), coffee with Baileys (34%), Christmas beer (28%) and cider (27%).

High intake, low spirits

Morning Recovery conducted the study to determine seasonal drinking patterns and how they affect day-to-day life during the holidays. The company manufactures a ‘smart supplement’ drink that claims to help the body “detox, rehydrate, and replenish faster,”​ particularly after a night of drinking.

Sisun Lee, co-founder and CEO at Morning Recovery, said “The holidays are a busy time of year and we were interested in pinpointing exactly how they affect our social life, work ethic, habits, and more.”

Those polled reported they typically attend just one social event a week, but when the holidays come around they more often find themselves at three social events a week. They spend an average of $241 each month on social events, but during the holiday season, that figure more than doubles up to $537.

Four alcoholic drinks a week is the average for most of the year, jumping up to eight at the holiday. The excess alcohol led 36% of participants to agree that the subsequent ‘rough mornings’ actually dampen their overall holiday spirit.

Productivity problems

Too much partying the night before causes the average American to be late to work three times over the course of the holidays, and calling in sick twice. Seven in ten said hangovers and after-effects of drinking make them less productive at work the next day.

“We weren't surprised to find that Americans socialize more, drink more, and as a result, suffer from more rough mornings and lost productivity throughout the holiday season,”​ Lee said.

Morning Recovery beverages claim to “boost your liver's natural ability to break down alcohol”​ and are non-GMO, vegan and free of caffeine, lactose, soy and nuts. It contains ingredients like dihydromyricetin, milk thistle, prickly pear and electrolytes, but has not been evaluated by the FDA.

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