The Couple That Drinks Together Drinks Together, Study Finds
Ever notice that when you crack open your third bottle of wine, your boyfriend or girlfriend is uncorking his or her third bottle as well? This may be evidence of a broader trend among young couples, a new study finds. USA Today reports that researchers in Nova Scotia discovered they "were able to predict one partner's binge drinking based on the other partner's binge drinking." Don't worry, single binge drinkers, there's bound to be someone out there for you, and they're probably throwing a shoe at the TV of an airport bar as you read this.
NOT PICTURED: His girlfriend, drinking vodka out of a salad spinner.
The study "looked at 208 unmarried heterosexual dating couples in their early 20s who had face-to-face contact at least five days a week." After tracking their behavior for 28 days, the researchers were able to accurately guess when one member of the couple would drink heavily based on their counterpart's drinking. Young love is so adorable and enabling, don't you think?
"In some respect this is a cautionary piece of research. Pick your friends and lovers carefully because they influence you more than you think," said Simon Sherry, assistant professor at Dalhousie University, where the study was conducted.
Yeah, well, if God didn't want couples to drink, why'd he invent two-for-one specials at bars? We'll let you consult your team for that one, assistant professor.
For some couples, binge drinking is routine [USA Today]
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