24/7 Wall Street used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the drunkest cities in each state. According to the site, while the statewide average for excessive drinking sits at around 17.4 percent (compared to the nationwide average of 18 percent,) 20.8 percent of adults in Crestview/Fort Walton Beach/Destin drink excessively.

Annie Blanks @DestinLogAnnie

FORT WALTON BEACH — When you think of the “drunkest city in Florida,” party hot spots like Miami Beach, Daytona or Panama City Beach probably come to mind.

But according to data compiled by 24/7 Wall Street, a financial news site, the Crestview/Fort Walton Beach/Destin area is officially the “drunkest city in Florida.”

24/7 Wall Street used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the drunkest cities in each state. According to the site, while the statewide average for excessive drinking sits at around 17.4 percent (compared to the nationwide average of 18 percent,) 20.8 percent of adults in Crestview/Fort Walton Beach/Destin drink excessively.

Additionally, the area also has the state’s highest alcohol-related traffic fatality rate, at 39.4 percent. That’s compared to 28.2 percent statewide and 30 percent nationwide.

According to the CDC, “excessive alcohol use, including underage drinking and binge drinking (drinking 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women), can lead to increased risk of health problems such as injuries, violence, liver diseases, and cancer.”

Cash Moore, who owns several local liquor stores and strip clubs, said he was surprised the area topped the list.

“Naturally, we have a lot of tourists, and I feel like when they come here they come here to get some sun and to party,” Moore said. “Adults come here and get a babysitter and go out. There’s a lot of great restaurants and great entertainment in the area. So I’m sure that’s one of the factors right there.”

He added he didn’t think it was a title the area should be proud of.

“I think we should be a little bit more proud of having the prettiest beaches in the world,” he said.

Michele Nicholson, spokeswoman for the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, said the agency wouldn’t comment on the list due to the vagueness of the statistics.

“Did they take into account that we’re a population of 200,000 that takes in two to three million tourists?” Nicholson said. “Either way you look at it, it seems like it would be a very skewed type of conclusion.”