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Community Corner

We're the Healthiest, Drunkest County in Massachusetts, Study Says

Dukes County was recently named the healthiest county in Massachusetts in a study looking at multiple measures of physical and mental well-being. But when it comes to excessive drinking, we lead the state as well.

Feeling healthy today? Or are you suffering from a hangover? 

If you answered "yes" to the first question, you're in a solid majority of Dukes County residents who reportedly are feeling good and doing well. 

But if you answered "yes" to the second, you're far from alone in your misery.

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According to a recent study by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Dukes County was ranked the healthiest county in Massachusetts.

But the study also found that Dukes County residents are far more prone to excessive drinking, defined as "binge plus heavy drinking," than those of any of the state's 13 other counties.  

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While most counties had a excessive drinking rate of 19 to 21 percent, Dukes County's rate was 28 percent, according to the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report.

The study drew its data from "a variety of national sources," according to the report, which ranked Middlesex the state's second healthiest, followed by Norfolk County with Nantucket County in fourth place.

The Nantucket county report, however, is lacking a statistic for excessive drinking.

The study also looked at measures including adult obesity and insurance coverage, premature death and teen birth rates and the number of physicians and dentists per county resident, providing state and national benchmarks for comparison with the local numbers.

Overall, Hampden County was ranked least healthy in the state.

Detailed information on Dukes County and other counties in the report is available on the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website

Do these results surprise you? Why do you think the drinking rate is so high for Dukes County in this report? Tell us in the comments.

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