According to research out of the United States, people living in cold climates with less sunlight are more likely to drink heavily.

Researchers discovered a link between average temperature and hours of sunlight and alcohol consumption.

They examined data from 193 countries, discovering evidence that climate contributed to more binge drinking and liver disease.

An explanation may be that because alcohol is a vasodilator, it relaxes blood vessels and increases the flow of warm blood to the skin. So people may be drinking it to feel warm.

Binge drinking has also been linked to depression, which tends to be more prevalent when sunlight is scarce.