Binge Drinking

Below we have a chart that visualizes the rate of binge drinking by state, which I'm grabbing from this blog. The Midwest to some degree, and the colder northern regions to a larger degree, appear to have the highest rates. What are some theories that can explain this relationship?

Booze

The Economist covers the temperance movement in the UK. Its not that surprising that British Pubs would push for a minimum price in an attempt to reduce competition from supermarkets. However I was shocked to see the different rates of cirrhosis and liver disease incidence across EU countries. See the graph below.