Americans with college degrees more likely to consume alcohol, poll finds

The more you know, the more alcohol you drink.

That's what the results of a recent Gallup poll show. The survey found that Americans with college degrees consumed alcohol more than those with only a high school diploma. 

The poll asked a random sampling of 1,009 adults, ages 18 and older, across the country if they drink alcoholic beverages or abstain completely. Of those who said they did imbibe, 80 percent were college graduates compared to the 52 percent whose education stopped at high school.

Higher education wasn't the only commonality among those who said they did enjoy alcohol, though. The drinkers also tended to be wealthier.

The percentage of adults consuming alcohol was highest (78 percent) among those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more. As incomes dropped so did the number of alcohol drinkers. In the lowest income bracket, less than $30,000 annually, only 45 percent of respondents said they consumed alcohol.

And when asked when was the last time they had a drink, nearly half of those who said they indulged in the last 24 hours were those with the higher incomes and most education.

The reason for this could be twofold. Booze isn't free and obviously, Americans of a higher socio-economic status can "likely afford to buy alcohol when they want to drink," Gallup says. But that's not all. "Wealthier Americans are also more likely to participate in activities that may involve drinking such as dining out at restaurants, going on vacation or socializing with co-workers," according to an analysis of the data.

And the drink of choice among the higher educated -- wine. Although beer was the top pick among the majority of survey respondents, those with a college degree preferred wine.