Guilty States

America's Most Sinful States

24/7 Wall St. has analyzed the prevalence of the major vices by state. These include gambling, drinking, use of tobacco, drugs, and the number of people who subscribe to pornographic websites.

Data used for the 24/7 Wall St. analysis came from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, American Gaming Association, and a Harvard Business School professor’s analysis of pornography use.

Some of the definitions in this analysis are technical, and may be confusing for those unfamiliar with them. For instance, whether a citizen is defined as a heavy drinker depends on their gender. In the case of men, it is those who report an average consumption of more than two drinks each day. In the case of women, the minimum is an average of more than one. These numbers are probably understated, as many do not like to admit to being problem drinkers. Binge drinkers are either men who on at least two nights in the last 30 day have consumed five or more drinks, or women who have consumed at least four. Compared to heavy drinking, binge drinking is much more common, done by as many as 15 percent of the adults in some states. Regarding gambling, this analysis does not take into account lottery collections at the state level or other forms of gambling such as off-track betting.

24/7 Wall St. took the prevalence of major vices in the fifty states. These were then averaged and weighted evenly in order to select the states with the highest and lowest prevalence of vice.

Is your state among the most guilty? Read on to find out.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Guilty States 24/7 Wall St. has analyzed the prevalence of the major vices by state. These include gambling, drinking, use of tobacco, drugs, and the number of people who subscribe to pornographic websites.

Data used for the 24/7 Wall St. analysis came from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, American Gaming Association, and a Harvard Business School professor’s analysis of pornography use.

Some of the definitions in this analysis are technical, and may be confusing for those unfamiliar with them. For instance, whether a citizen is defined as a heavy drinker depends on their gender. In the case of men, it is those who report an average consumption of more than two drinks each day. In the case of women, the minimum is an average of more than one. These numbers are probably understated, as many do not like to admit to being problem drinkers. Binge drinkers are either men who on at least two nights in the last 30 day have consumed five or more drinks, or women who have consumed at least four. Compared to heavy drinking, binge drinking is much more common, done by as many as 15 percent of the adults in some states. Regarding gambling, this analysis does not take into account lottery collections at the state level or other forms of gambling such as off-track betting.

24/7 Wall St. took the prevalence of major vices in the fifty states. These were then averaged and weighted evenly in order to select the states with the highest and lowest prevalence of vice.

Is your state among the most guilty? Read on to find out.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
10. California Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 15.8 percent (23rd highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 28.8 (4th lowest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 9 percent (12th highest)
California’s greatest vice is gambling. It ranks 3rd worst. The state has 68 casinos, all of which are Native American-affiliated. The state also ranks 40th for heavy drinking among adults, with 5.5 percent of those 18 and older imbibing. California drops to 28th, however, when it comes to binge drinking. Drug use is another, although less severe, issue for the state, ranking 39th. California currently has some of the most lenient state laws in the country with regards to marijuana. On the bright side, The Golden State ranks 2nd best in terms of smoking. Only 12.9 percent of the adult population smokes cigarettes.

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
9. Delaware Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 18.5 percent (6th highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 122.8 (2nd highest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 9.04 percent (11th highest)
Delaware’s downfall is its abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. The First State has the sixth highest rate of drug usage, with poor scores both in marijuana and hard drugs. This could be partly attributed to its proximity to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C., all major drug distribution centers. The average Delaware adult also buys more than 122 packs of cigarettes each year, the second worst rate in the country. Finally, the state has the fourth worst score for combined heavy drinking and binge drinking. Delaware has one of the lowest rates of pornography subscribers in the country, behind only six others.

(AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
8. Missouri Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 17.2 percent (15th highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 97.2 (5th highest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 7.22 percent (20th lowest)
While Missouri ranks near the national average for most vices, it has its weaknesses. The most notable of these is smoking – the state ranks 3rd worst in this category. Among Missouri’s adult population, 23.1 percent smoke cigarettes. The average number of packs an adult in Missouri buys per year is 97.2. As of August 2010, the state had the lowest tax on cigarettes in the country. Missouri also ranks 36th highest for binge drinking – 17.2 percent of adults drink too much.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, file)
7. Minnesota Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 20.2 percent (3rd highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 48.7 (18th lowest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 8.13 percent (23rd highest)
Minnesota ranks average in drug use and has few smokers. The state’s many casinos hurt its score, however, and it has one of the worst rates of binge drinking, ahead of only neighbors Wisconsin and North Dakota. While not part of our rankings, the North Star State had the third worst rate of driving under the influence.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
6. Louisiana Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 14.4 percent (19th lowest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 82.6 (8th highest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 7.01 percent (15th lowest)
Louisiana has a very high rate of in-state gambling and ranks 3rd worst in that category. The state has a high number of casinos and 2,272 electronic gaming devices, less than only Oregon. Louisiana also ranks 42nd highest for pornography, with an average of just over three subscribers per 1,000 broadband users. Louisianans do the 7th most smoking in the country, with 22.1 percent of adults smoking cigarettes. The average adult in the state purchases 82.6 packs of cigarettes per year.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
5. Colorado Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 16.3 percent (20th highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 46 (16th lowest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 11.68 percent (4th highest)
Colorado has a below-average rate of tobacco consumption, scoring 14th best overall for the category. Only 17% of the state’s adults are smokers. Colorado, however, does not do as well with regards to drugs and alcohol. Nearly 6 percent of adults in the state engage in heavy drinking, the tenth-highest rate in the country. The state’s overall drug scores are the worst among our ten worst states. With a rate of marijuana consumption at more than 13 percent and the rate of usage of other illegal substances at nearly 5 percent, the state scores third-worst overall.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file)
4. Oklahoma Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 13 percent (14th lowest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 79 (9th highest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 7.92 percent (25th highest)
Oklahoma has the third highest rate of adult smokers in the country (25.5 percent). It also has the 3rd highest rate with regards to illicit drug use other than marijuana with a rate of 4.75 percent. Oklahoma has the 5th greatest rate of people subscribing to online pornography. It has the 2nd highest rate for overall gambling, and has the second most casinos in the country – 106. To the state’s credit, it has the 7th lowest rank with regards to heavy drinking. Only 2.8 percent of adults are heavy drinkers.

(AP Photo)
3. Alaska Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 17.9 percent (9th highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 45.8 (14th lowest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 11.9 percent (3rd highest)
Alaska has only three major casinos, which is low compared to most and improves its rating. Otherwise, the state is one of the most vice-rich in the country. Alaska has the fifth-highest rate of drug use in the country, with the third highest rate of marijuana consumption – nearly 15 percent of adults reported using in a single year. The state also has the third-highest rate of alcohol consumption and the second-highest rate of pornography users per capita.

(AP Photo/Al Grillo)
2. Wisconsin Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 23.9 percent (highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 55.3 (23rd highest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 8.54 percent (19th highest)
Wisconsin, home to Milwaukee, or “Brew City,” is big on drinking. It ranks the highest for drinking, meaning the people there on average drink the most. The state has the highest rate of binge drinking in the country. Although it did not affect the state’s ranking, Wisconsin has the highest rate of people driving under the influence of alcohol in the country. (Some blame these statistics on the fact that it is legal for someone under 21 to drink in a bar as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.) It also ranks 14th highest for illicit drug use.

(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
1. Nevada Binge Drinking Among Adults Per Month: 17.5 percent (13th highest)
Annual Sale Of Cigarette Packs Per Capita: 53.5 (25th highest)
Illicit Drug Use Per Month: 9.13 percent (10th highest)
Due mostly to the fact that it is home to America’s original city of sin, Las Vegas, Nevada easily earns its status as the country’s most vice-ridden state. Some may point to unruly outsiders being the source of the state’s sin rather than residents, but that is not the case. The state is ranked in the worst ten both for alcohol consumption and drug use among its population. It is Nevada’s enormous gambling industry, however, which solidifies its position. According to the American Gaming Association’s 2010 report, Nevada has 263 major casinos, easily more than twice that of the next highest state, Oklahoma, which has 106. Gamblers spend more than $10 billion each year in the state, and roughly 75 percent of the state’s GDP comes from the Las Vegas area.

(Photo/iStock)
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