Binge Drinking in Wisconsin Exceeds US Average, Incidence of Alcohol Intake Related to Location

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A new study finds that the incidence of alcohol intake and excess drinking among adults is related to where you live in the United States with Wisconsin exceeding the country's average in binge drinking.

Published in the American Journal of Public Health, the study shows that out of Wisconsin's 72 counties, 39 are in the top percent of binge-drinking rates across the United States. The study, named 'Drinking Patterns in US Counties From 2002 to 2012,' analyzed the drinking activities of many adults aged 21 and above. The study was presented at the conference of the Association of Health Care Journalists.

The reason for why Wisconsin is at the top is because "binge drinking is a sport in Wisconsin," according to Randy Schultz, retired captain of patrol from the Brown Country Sheriff's Office, via Green Bay Press Gazette. "It's the culture (of) 'live for the weekend.' And you're not having three or four - it's bottomless."

Binge drinking is defined by the CDC as "a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08 percent or more." This pattern typically calls for more five or more drinks on a single occasion.

"The percentage of people who drink is not changing much, but among drinkers we are seeing more heavy drinking and more binge drinking," Ali Mokdad, lead author and professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, told USA Today. "We're going in the wrong direction."

An interactive map by the Tallahassee Democrat illustrates the top US states and counties that are into heavy or binge drinking. CDC warns that binge drinking is associated to health problems such as alcohol poisoning, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, car wrecks, and injuries.

"Binge drinking can often lead to alcohol-dependence," warns Natalie Deuster, a social worker and counselor for Ashwaubenon's Prevea Behavioral Care, via GreenBayPressGazette.com. "I've worked with people who've lost their jobs, their businesses, their marriages. They're lying, they're hiding things."

William Kerr of the Alcohol Research Group, who is not involved in the study, says that the trend in problem drinking in states should be used to strengthen the efforts for prevention and treatment.

According to Mokdad, the insight from the rates should be studied and used to shed light on problem drinking. Some effective strategies could be limiting the operating hours of bars and stores that sell liquor, law enforcement on drunk driving, and denying alcohol for customers who are already drunk in bars.