Coca-Cola is consumed all around the world, but nowhere is it more popular than in the Mexican state of Chiapas, where the average person drinks 216 gallons of Coca-Cola per year (2.2 liters per day), roughly 32 times the global average. In fact, drinking Coke is more popular than there than drinking water. Coca-Cola is sold and advertised literally everywhere in the state, and it’s almost as cheap as water. Most people don’t consume Coca-Cola as a treat, but as a way of staying hydrated throughout the day, not even realizing they've become addicted to it. Since the iconic soft drink has been present in the state for over half a century and is so deeply ingrained in the local culture, the people can’t imagine their lives without it. Things got even worse when Coca-Cola opened a production plant outside the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Not only did the sugary drink get a lot cheaper to buy, marketing became a lot more aggressive. To add insult to injury, the factory has had a long-standing contract to use 300,000 gallons of water a day, even though many locals only have access to potable water a few times a week. Dr. Marcos Arana, a local physician in Chiapas, said that 15% of indigenous children aged 1 or 2 regularly consume soft drinks, as do 3% of babies under 6 months. The addiction has led to approximately 3,000 deaths from diabetes in the state per year, making it the second most prevalent cause of death. Still, these statistics aren’t enough to make the people of Chiapas give up the iconic beverage.
