UW Study Ranks Wisconsin #2 in US for Binge Drinking

A new study ranks Wisconsin number two in the nation for binge drinking. The report by the U-W Population Health Institute shows 24 percent of adults in Wisconsin engage in binge drinking – compared to 16 percent across the U-S. Binge drinking is five or more drinks on one occasion for men and four or more for women.  Co-author Sarah Linnan said the high rate of binge drinking comes with health and societal consequences including premature mortality, hospitalizations, arrests and alcohol-related crashes. Researchers say the cost of binge drinking in Wisconsin is estimated at three-point-nine-billion dollars, mainly due to lost productivity.