I am an intern at Health First Wisconsin, and if you read the news last week, you probably heard about the comprehensive report issued by Health First Wisconsin and partners—including the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and Wisconsin Partnership Program at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. The report is the first comprehensive study that outlines the cost of excessive alcohol use in Wisconsin. Put simply: Wisconsin is the guy who is passed out by 9 p.m. with two forties taped to his hands. Ya, that guy. Feel free to roll your eyes with me. Wisconsin is a drunk mess.
Some people think it’s cool. In fact, I heard someone say last week “we’re the lead state in binge drinking, hell ya!” But this is a serious problem. I am in no way against drinking, as my friends and family know well, but I do not think Wisconsin’s drinking problem is cool, funny or admirable. It’s just a huge problem. I have friends who have transferred from out of state colleges. They’re not against drinking either, but they can’t believe the drinking culture here. To use a direct quote, I asked a friend “Can you tell a difference in the drinking here? Do we drink more than college students elsewhere?”
“Oh my God, like fish,” was her response.
Our campus is no stranger to that drinking problem. After a long week of lectures and making your way through pedestrians who will not get out of your way when you’re late to class, it seems only natural to go home and crack open a beer or have a glass of wine to ease the pain. I get it. But it becomes a problem when that beer turns into twenty and next thing you know you’re holding your friend’s hair back and wondering when it’s a safe bet that it’s time to take her to get her stomach pumped. What a scary and risky guessing game!
There are plenty of problems with binge drinking. There are drunk driving issues, the costs of the health care in response to excessive drinking and, of course, alcohol-related violence and domestic disputes. I have seen one of my family members suffer from alcoholism, and it was certainly not funny. Drinking to excess can really do a lot of damage to a person’s life and the people close to them. And of course, on a lighter note, the productivity level the day after a long night of drinking is usually zero. I tell myself I’ll still be able to get things done the next day. In reality the next day ends up looking a lot like I’m bed stricken with a bad case of the flu.
Obviously, we’re not going to stop drinking. That’s not realistic and would probably lead to a lot of stressed out Badgers. But, it’s really important to be aware of the problem Wisconsin has. It’s not just young college students, all over our state we have a serious problem with drinking and I believe it starts with the fact that drinking is so deeply embedded in Wisconsin culture. Many people here don’t go camping, boating or fishing without beer, and don’t even get me started on sporting events. Drinking is so much a part of our culture that it seems almost abnormal to go to a Badger football game without getting completely wasted beforehand. Now, onto the facts of what this drinking culture is doing to our state, and some of the negative effects people may not see first-hand.
Highlighted in the excessive drinking burden report were some sobering (ahem) statistics. Wisconsin’s excessive alcohol consumptions cost Wisconsin $6.8 billion per year. That’s $1,198 for every man, woman and child in the state. Broken down, this cost is $2.9 billion for impaired productivity, $2 billion for premature mortality costs, $749 million from increased health care costs, $649 million in criminal justice, $418 million in motor vehicle costs and $90 million in various other effects. The report also found that a lot of the high costs of excessive drinking are paid by taxpayers who pick up 40 percent of the excessive drinking tab in Wisconsin, which equals about $2.9 billion a year. As a college student who thinks $10 is a lot of money because it can buy me food for a day, the amount taxpayers spend on excessive drinking is a large sum of cash. Also, as a student who will soon step out into the real world in a not-so-great economy, I know that Wisconsin’s drinking problem is not something for which I want to pay. Get your crap together, Wisconsin, or I’m out of here. Ah, who am I kidding I’ll be leaving here regardless (the weather here is too ridiculous), but Wisconsin needs to address this alcohol problem. We have a 25.6 percent binge drinking rate in Wisconsin, while nationwide, the rate is only 16 percent.
As “hilarious” as it may be that Badgers REALLY like their beer, it’s not hilarious to see the drastic economic, emotional and sometimes deadly effects it has on Wisconsin’s citizens and taxpayers. As Maureen Busalacchi, executive director at Health First Wisconsin, said, “The results of the report are staggering. Excessive alcohol use costs us $6.8 billion and results in 1,500 deaths per year. Over-consumption … is a serious problem in Wisconsin that demands serious action.” Many believe this report is the first integral step toward policy changes that may curb this problem.
Having a few cold ones after a long, hard week is totally acceptable, but remember the effects excessive drinking has on you and your state next time the song “Shots!” is on and you’re just oh-so-tempted to take four in the matter of two minutes. Plus, you have that paper due on Monday. What fun is the night when you can’t remember it, anyway?
Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
