Does Wisconsin Have A Drinking Problem Or Are We Just Honest?

Every few years we see these stats about the drunkest places in the United States. Recently, it was the drunkest counties in the US, and low and behold, basically all of them were in Wisconsin.

I'm reminded of a friend of mine who got an OWI in Wisconsin in his twenties. He was ashamed (as he should be) and was nervous about telling his elderly mother that he got a DUI. This retired school teacher in her seventies replied, "Well everyone gets at least one in their life."

While that's not really the attitude you should have, it shows the culture of Wisconsin.

German immigrants and their beer behind Wisconsin's drinking?

Wisconsin's drinking habits have been attributed by some to the German immigrants who brought their love of beer drinking with them. But also, if you live in Wisconsin, you know a bump of your favorite spirit (or 12) can help you get through the brutal winters.

Are we in Wisconsin just not ashamed to admit how much we drink?

I've always wondered about these stats because they are 100% self-reported data. If drinking is more socially acceptable for a reason, don't you think people would be more inclined to not hide the fact that they are drinking a 6 pack of Leinenkugals regularly?

Read More: 12 Out Of 20 Drunkest Cities In America Are In Wisconsin

What's binge drinking? Oh please.

So what is considered binge drinking? Here's what the National Institue Of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says:

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%–or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter–or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours.

Sounds like meat raffle night on Thursdays at the VFW to me.

Still, it's a good time to examine your relationship with alcohol.

The beginning of the New Year is a great time to examine your relationship with alcohol. If you're a regular drinker and you're brave enough to assess yourself, you may be surprised. I'm 10 days into Dry January, and it's very eye opening to see how much our hobbies in Wisconsin correlate with drinking. Taking a break from time to time is probably a good idea, but you won't see me judging if you're tipping them back in the Badger state.