Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.

Those who abstain from alcohol have a lower life expectancy than both moderate and heavy drinkers.

A new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, which is based on 20-year study of 1,824 adults, has once again confirmed this counterintuitive conclusion. It isn't entirely surprising that moderate drinkers outlive teetotalers, as some alcohol -- in particular, red wine -- is good for the heart. However, researchers are still searching for the reason heavy drinkers live longer than those who abstain altogether.

One theory is that alcohol, the ultimate social lubricant, makes it easier for a person to maintain relationships. And stronger personal relationships have been linked to better mental and physical health, which results in a longer life expectancy.

Or it could be that serious drunks are just too belligerent to die.