During the holidays, people in Colorado tend to be more cheerful. It could be because of the holiday spirit, or maybe holidays spirits, if you catch my drift.

The fine people at the American Addiction Centers decided to take a survey of each state's drinking habits when it comes to the holiday season, and what they discovered may surprise you.

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Breaking the Paradigm of Happy Hour

Typically most people assume that 5 PM is the standard acceptable time to start drinking. However, as the holidays approach that time tends to get earlier.

I mean it's easy to do when there's morning mimosas, spiked egg nog, and other fun festive cocktails to create and enjoy.

Colorado's Time to Shine

Around the country the "holiday happy hour" varies, and on average most Americans think that 2:42 PM is an acceptable time to start drinking during the holidays.

In Colorado, 18% of people think it's perfectly acceptable to start drinking at lunchtime. Beating the national average, the rest of Colorado believes that 1:47 PM is the perfect time to start pouring those holiday favorites.

How Does Colorado Compare?

While the state starts drinking almost an hour before the national average, that doesn't mean that we're the worst.

In Alaska, those surveyed reported that they believe 12:30 PM is the time for kicking off the fun. The states that came in close proximity were Delaware and Utah, both believing that 12:31 is in fact the time for drinking.

Drink Responsibly

The most important thing to remember is that you should always drink responsibly. Starting to consume alcoholic beverages earlier in the day could pose certain risks like:

  • becoming dehydrated
  • creating bad habits
  • the need for emergency care
  • exceeding typical drinking limitations

As always never drive while you're intoxicated. If you decide to drink this holiday season, stay safe and smart!

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