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Couples Who Share Drinking Habits Are Happier, Study Finds

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS) – Having a drink with your spouse might be good for your marriage, according to new research.

A recent study published in the Journals of Gerontology found that couples, whether they drink alcohol or not, are happier when they share the same drinking habits.

Researchers surveyed nearly 5,000 married people over 50 about their alcohol consumption.

"We're not sure why this is happening, but it could be that couples that do more leisure time activities together have better marital quality," Dr. Kira Birditt, of the University of Michigan, told Reuters.

One notable finding: wives reported they were unhappier with the state of their marriage when they drank and their husbands did not.

The study authors stressed that these findings only considered "drinking status," as opposed to how much alcohol was being consumed.

"We're not suggesting that people should drink more or change the way they drink," Birditt told Reuters.

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