Wisconsin takes first place in the nation for binge drinking according to a study reported in January, 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nationwide, one in six American adults (according to the CDC) is a binge drinker. In Wisconsin, however, the statistic is one in four adults. Binge drinking in the study is defined as five or more drinks in a short period for men, and four or more drinks for women. The frequency threshold used to define a binge drinker was four episodes a month. According to the CDC, 50% of all alcohol sales in the United States involve binge drinking. For college students, that number is 90%. See the CDC Web site for more information.

Does binge drinking make a difference in auto fatalities? It is hard to imagine that it does not. Out of curiosity I took a look at the national statistics for alcohol related traffic deaths in comparison to those of Wisconsin. In 2009 the national average of “alcohol related” traffic deaths was 38%. For Wisconsin during the same year, the number was 45%. In 2009 the national average of “alcohol impaired” traffic deaths was 32%. In Wisconsin that number was 38%. If there is any good news to report, it is that in 1982 the Wisconsin percentages for “alcohol related” and “alcohol impaired” fatalities were 62% and 57% respectively.
(Source: http://www.alcoholalert.com/drunk-driving-statistics.html)

In truth, with the limited amount of data presented here, we cannot conclude that higher rates of alcohol related traffic fatalities in Wisconsin are due to higher rates of binge drinking. Nonetheless, I’m willing to wager that the association is real.

The statistics on drunk driving are frightening. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the CDC both publish lots of information that might make a sober person reluctant to ever drive again. Alcohol abuse, in addition to its safety related concerns, leads to all sorts of health problems. In case anyone has forgotten what some of them are, the table below spells it out.