Facing the Truth About Excessive Drinking
March 2019
Julia Sherman
Executive Director
Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project
In the discussion about alcohol-related problems, we sometimes fail to see that even If we eliminated all drunk driving, we would still face a staggering number of alcohol-related deaths each year. Wisconsin loses approximately twice as many citizens each year to alcohol-related falls as alcohol-related vehicular fatalities. To decrease all alcohol-related deaths, we need to address excessive drinking, the root cause of drunk driving and other alcohol-related deaths.
The full picture of alcohol-related harms
Consider the fuller picture; drunk driving deaths, self-harm and alcohol poisoning each claim between 16-18% of alcohol-related deaths each year in Wisconsin.[I] That is not obvious to the general public; completed suicides and alcohol-poisoning deaths are private tragedies, with limited media coverage out of consideration for family members. Drunk driving deaths occur in public and frequently generate extensive media coverage. The less public nature of these other alcohol-related deaths distorts our perception and underestimates the harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Most people never see the full picture of alcohol-related harms.
Most alcohol-related injuries occur when someone has consumed an excessive amount of alcohol: more than three standard drinks at one time for women or four for men. It does not matter whether you call it binge drinking, dangerous drinking or Saturday night – individual risk soars when individuals consume more than three or four drinks. Even abstainers pick up the tab for excessive drinking: three-quarters of the cost of alcohol-related harm is the result of excessive drinking – including emergency services, police, and health care costs. The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute estimated that excessive drinking costs Wisconsin about $6.8 Billion, annually.[ii] That is more than$1,200 for every man, woman and child in the state; it shows up on property tax bills, state income taxes, and individual insurance costs.
Impact on individual health
Sadly, injuries are only half of the equation; excessive alcohol use has a negative impact on individual health. We need to reconsider the relationship between alcohol use and personal health; about 42% of Wisconsin’s alcohol-related deaths are from chronic diseases, including cancer, related to alcohol use. Even moderate drinking could increase your risk for seven different types of cancer.[iii]The risk increases as the amount of alcohol consumed increases. Drink less alcohol, decrease your risk and you might even lose some weight, another health risk.
The impact of alcohol on your individual health also depends on your age, the medications you take, and other factors you should discuss with your health care provider. The first step is to be honest about the amount of alcohol you consume. Surveys show that about 24% of Wisconsin’s adults exceed the moderate drinking levels about once a week[iv]; that is information your health care provider needs to know. Reviewing your alcohol use at the same time you discuss weight, exercise, and medications is essential.
There is no health benefit to alcohol consumption, but informed decisions allow you to minimize your risk. Wisconsin has too many alcohol-related deaths from either illness or injury. Groups throughout Wisconsin and the midwest are working to prevent and reduce excessive and underage drinking. Please join us.
Related Resources
Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
U.S Preventive Services Task Force Statement on Screening to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use
[i]Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Care and Treatment Services and Division of Public Health. Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 2016 (P-45718-16). Prepared by the Division of Care and Treatment Services, Division of Public Health, and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. November 2016.
[ii]Black, PD, Paltzer, JT. The Burden of Excessive Alcohol Use in Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, February 2013.
[iii]Loconte, N., Brewster, A., Kaur, J., Merrill, Janette, Alberg, A. Alcohol and Cancer: A Statement of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, November 2017.
[iv]Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Care and Treatment Services and Division of Public Health. Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 2016 (P-45718-16). Prepared by the Division of Care and Treatment Services, Division of Public Health, and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. November 2016.