Nation's 'Most Dangerously Drunk' cities ranked

Fargo fares poorly; Minneapolis does better than St. Paul

Last update: December 5, 2007 - 6:38 PM

A ranking of the nation's "Most Dangerously Drunk" cities is out, and Denver tops the notorious list, with Fargo, N.D., not far behind.

Men's Health magazine compiled the ranking, which appears in its December issue. The magazine said it based its results on:

• Annual death rates due to alcoholic liver disease.

• Prevalence of downing five or more drinks in a sitting.

• Drunken-driving arrests.

• Fatal accidents involving drunken drivers.

• MADD's report card on state efforts to combat excessive drinking.

The magazine's sources for its data include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The ranking, the magazine's second, retained Denver at No. 100 for the dubious distinction.

"You can make statistics say anything," Rich Grant, spokesman for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, told the Denver Post. "I can show you statistics that say we're the thinnest city, with the most sporting goods stores per capita, and the largest bike and trail system in the country. And I'm sure there are more liquor sales per capita in Las Vegas than there are here."

Among cities in the Upper Midwest, Fargo did the worst, landing at No. 96. Others in the region: Milwaukee (91); Madison, Wis. (73); Des Moines, Iowa (54); St. Paul (50); Minneapolis (34); and Sioux Falls, S.D. (17).

Robyn Litke, coordinator of the Safe Communities Coalition of the Red River Valley, told the Fargo Forum newspaper, "We need to look at this as the problem that it is, instead of the bragging right that people tend to tack on with this. I think we need an entire cultural shift."

Nationally, the city that fared the best was Durham, N.C., followed by Miami and Buffalo.

For more on each city, visit: www.menshealth.com/drunk/.

PAUL WALSH

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