Drinking and divorce rates study: A new study by the University of Buffalo followed 634 married couples and recorded how many divorced after 9 years.

More than half of the couples in which one partner drank more than the other divorced, while only 30% divorced where the drinking habits were similar.

The findings show that it is it the drinking habits that reflect divorce and not the alcohol itself.

If two people are more in sync, obviously there are fewer problems in a relationship. But the study finds that drinking is a true factor in similarity.

But that doesn't mean that a couple should binge drink to keep their marriage alive.

Professor Leonard who led the study said, "[But] while two heavy drinkers may not divorce, they may create a particularly bad climate for their children."

Before the Buffalo study, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health followed 19,977 married couples with the same results:

The couples that drink together stay together.

"Ultimately, we hope our findings will be helpful to marriage therapists and mental health practitioners who can explore whether a difference in drinking habits is causing conflicts between couples seeking help," Leonard said.

The results are most likely due to the fact that two people that drink heavily enjoy the same things in their free time.

When one person drinks and the other person doesn't the relationship can be strained. What does a couple do on a Saturday night with such different outlooks on having a good time?

I'd be curious on how other relationships, such as friends and family, are strained with dissimilar drinking habits.

What do you think of the new study's results?