Ahhh... Kansas!

5th Least Drunk State: Kansas

Kansas has some of the toughest liquor laws on the books, including restrictions on shipping alcohol and store hours. Despite these laws and the comparatively low rate of alcohol consumption, Kansas did have one of the largest increases in drunk driving deaths in 2007. Then again, Kansas did rank in the top three of our Happiness Index, which may mean they’re doing something right.

Total Alcohol Consumed: 28.7 gallons per person

Beer: 208 cans per person

Wine: 5.9 bottles per person

Spirits: 1.5 gallons per person

http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/lifestyle/drunkest-states-america

Happiness Index

3. Kansas

Previous Rank: 3

Non-Mortgage Debt as % of Annual Income: 28.55%

Unemployment Rate: 6.9%

Foreclosure Rate (1 foreclosure per # of households): 358

Happiness Index Value: 36

Kansas, still at slot three on the Happiness Index, could get an economic boost from the recent announcement that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway plans to buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad for $34 billion.

According to KansasCity.com, “Kansas City’s economy could feel a direct boost from the deal if it helps prod the railroad’s plans to build a major rail-truck freight hub near Gardner and Edgerton, Kan.”

http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/moneyinvesting/news/happiness-index-nj-mass-have-blues

robert wrote:

Despite these laws and the comparatively low rate of alcohol consumption, Kansas did have one of the largest increases in drunk driving deaths in 2007.

The kids are drinking younger than before. Nowdays they think they are adults by 12. It happened in our times too, but in our times only "bad" junior high kids were doing things that a wider range of them do now. By the time they are in high school alot of them are pretty experienced partiers. By the time they hit college they are doing some dangerous binge drinking if not already alcoholics. One reason they are wanting to raise the eligible age on driving is the high rate of teen accidents.