To any Wisconsinite, it’s no surprise every county in our state has a high percentage of excessive drinkers. Or that we’re literally the drunkest state in the country.
But to outsiders, maybe we come across as degenerate? Who really cares though. As long as our alcoholism is disguised as ‘culture’ we can still have fun with it.
A recent report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute shows that not only does every county in our state drink excessively but our state has more heavy drinkers than any other state.
We’ve even increased our excessive drinking percentage by three points since 2020 and beat out the 2021 national average by 8%. That’s pretty darn impressive.
The survey did set the bar pretty low in how they phrased binge drinking, though. The survey says binge drinking refers to any “woman consuming four or more alcoholic drinks” or “man consuming five or more alcoholic drinks” in “one occasion.” These researchers have clearly never been to a Wisconsin bar during a Packers game. Or on any night from Monday to Sunday.
Obviously, the report was done to highlight the dangers of binge drinking—like alcohol poisoning or car accidents—which are becoming real problems in Wisconsin. The state’s rate of alcohol-related deaths is higher than the national average and continues to rise.
But, knowing we can outdrink almost anyone else in the country gives us some powerful confidence. I’m still confused why drinking isn’t an event in the Olympic games yet.
Let’s keep it up and win the country again in 2022. Drink Wisconsibly.
