The Couple That Drinks Together Stays Together

Marriages in which only one spouse is a heavy drinker are more likely to end in divorce, according to new research. More surprising, though, is that the divorce rate for two boozers is no worse than that of two teetotalers.

The problem for some marriages, according to a new study, is not the alcohol itself, but the discrepancy of its consumption. Researchers from the University of Buffalo followed newlyweds for nine years and found that 50% of those couples who had dissimilar drinking habits split up—making them 20% more likely to divorce than those couples who drink the same amount with the same frequency.

Uneven liquor consumption hints that a couple may be less likely to socialize together, which could have a detrimental impact on their marriage.

The differences in drinking habits suggests a “lack of compatibility,” according to the study’s authors, which is the second most common reason for divorce. So as long as you’ve got something in common—even if it’s only finding the bottom of the bottle—your marriage is more likely to succeed.