People may think of themselves as friendly, funny drunks but nearly a quarter of the country have had to apologize for something that they were too drunk to even remember doing
Summer means lots of things to lots of people, but to many Americans one of the iconic experiences of the hotter months is to sit around outside and drink. The effect of this can be clearly seen, both from higher alcohol purchases to increased road deaths. This is particularly true for young drivers, whose road deaths spike in the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For the bulk of Americans who drink, however, alcohol is usually enjoyed in moderate amounts - but when it isn't, the results can be dramatic.
The latest research from YouGov shows that, on the whole, Americans like to think that they are a fun bunch when they've had a bit too much to drink. When people were presented with a list of nineteen adjectives to describe how they are when they are drunk, the top choices were 'happy' (36%), silly (34%) and chatty (30%). Out of the top ten descriptors, half of them were however at least slightly negative. Some of these are almost cheerful - 28% say they are 'messy' and 21% say they are 'loud' - but some are more serious, for example the 11% of Americans who describe themselves as 'aggressive' while drunk.
On the whole, most Americans have avoided double hangovers where you feel bad both due to excessive drinking and because of something stupid or mean you did the night before. 26% of Americans say that they have never been drunk, while out of the 71% who say that they have been drunk before most (42% of the entire country) haven't had to apologize for something they've done the night before. Only 31% have had to apologize for the night before. 23% of Americans say that they've had to apologize for doing something that they were too drunk to even remember doing.
How Americans get drunk is currently in a state of flux, with the US becoming the world's largest wine market, beating France into second place for the first time ever. At the same time as French drinkers turn away from wine and alcohol more generally, Americans are drinking more and more wine with each passing year.
Full poll results can be found here.
Image: Getty
