Does fracking drive you to drink? Unconventional oil and gas production and alcohol consumption in U.S. counties

Unconventional drilling technologies like hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling have markedly increased oil and gas production in the United States while also bringing production in proximity with many communities. Foundational research in rural sociology predicts the rise of local “boomtown” problems like excessive alcohol consumption as a result of sudden energy booms. In this paper, we use data from U.S. counties to understand the relationship between energy production and alcohol consumption. Results suggest that oil and gas production has very modest effects on binge drinking and heavy drinking, and that these effects may vary by gender and across U.S. states.