Local Culture

USA Today: Eau Claire ranked "second drunkest" city in U.S.

Lauren Fisher |

Nearly 4-in-10 deadly car accidents in Eau Claire involve alcohol, says a USA Today article that ranks the drunkest cities in the United States.  Eau Claire came in second in this not-so-favorable piece, which takes into account how many adults drink heavily or binge drink, how many driving deaths involve alcohol, median income, and an estimated number of restaurants and bars in the area.

The article reports that 26.2 percent of adults in Eau Claire meet the Centers for Disease Control’s criteria for drinking to excess.  This includes binge drinking (drinking enough to reach a .08 percent blood alcohol concentration), heavy drinking (typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week for men, or 8 drinks or more per week for women), alcohol use by people younger than 21, and alcohol use by pregnant women.

According to USA Today, Wisconsin is home to nine of the top 20 drunkest cities, with Green Bay coming in number one.  In Green Bay, alcohol is involved in half of all deadly car accidents. For more information on CDC definitions concerning alcohol, check out the CDC website.