Wisconsin's #1 ... in binge drinking
According to a recent CDC study, we Wisconsinites are significantly above the national binge drinking average, with about 25.6% of the state's alcohol consumption attributed to binge drinking. The only state to even come close to Wisconsin is Nebraska, sitting at 22.3%. Last place? Utah, with only 10.9% of their consumption from binging.
Sconnie bingers also go out more often than those in most states, averaging about 5 binges (per binger) each month – although Kentuckians win the gold medal for most monthly outings, at nearly 6 each month. Wisconsin also wins the blue ribbon for the number of drinks consumed during each binge: an average of 9 per bingeing Wisconsinite.
About 17 percent of the national population, or 1 in 6 Americans, fit the study's profile for binge drinking (5 or more drinks per night for men, 4 or more for women). Nationally, bingers go out an average of 4 times each month and have about 8 drinks each time.
And lest you think it’s college hooligans creating these numbers, the study also found that – nationally speaking – the age group that binge drinks most often is 65+. Also, the income group containing the most binge drinkers makes over $75,000 a year.
The study has received some criticism. For starters, it never defines the size or alcohol content of “one drink.” It only says that having a drink constitutes “consuming any alcoholic beverage.” Another criticism is that the study doesn’t account for egos. The study surveyed a total of 457,677 people ages 18 and up. Maybe it’s just me, but I know more than a few people who would have upped their average number of drinks just to sound cool (with varying degrees of success).
But in the end, it seems the study’s goal is not to say how many people get smashed in a month. Instead, it draws attention to the fact that 1 in 6 Americans down several drinks regularly, and 40,000 people die as a result of this drinking – one half of an annual 80,000 alcohol-related deaths. Maybe this isn't a study in which one wants to be #1.
