By: E&P Staff After a year-long investigation by a team of reporters, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has begun publishing a five-part series on Wisconsin's elephant in the room -- its outsized love of alcohol.
"Wasted In Wisconsin" looks at a state where the small city of Appleton, population 70,000, has more taverns than there are in Sacramento, Calif.
"Person for person, we have three times more taverns here than the rest of the country - from Whiskey Dick's in Bruce to Musky Jack's east of Fifield; Tara's Squirrel Cage in Kellnersville to Beaver's Hut in Freedom; The Dump in Cambria to The Morgue in the hamlet of Slab City. And we spend twice as much money inside them," reporter Rick Romell wrote in the inaugural article Sunday.
"Wasted In Wisconsin" notes that the state is first in binge drinking, percentage of drinkers in the population, and driving under the influence. "We lag a few states in beer consumption, but we're near the top," Romell wrote. "With brandy, it's no contest. We put away more brandy per person than any other state. We have a strong claim on the vodka title, too."
In addition to analyzing databases and studies, and conducting more than 200 interviews for the series, the Journal Sentinel team tested 75 drinkers with a breath-testing device -- and found Wisconsin residents "often have no clue" how drunk they are.
"About half underestimated their blood-alcohol level, and when they did, they missed by a lot -- falling short of their actual results by an average of 35%," Romell wrote. "Many who were over the legal limit for driving expressed full confidence in their ability to get behind the wheel."
The article gives these reasons for Wisconsin's love of alcohol:
"Climate. Ethnicity. The historical importance of the brewing industry. The interpersonal dynamics that govern how people learn to live comfortably in a group. The social nature of most drinking. A relative lack of newcomers who might foster change. The premium many here place on being just a regular person. The need for identity."
In a note to readers, Editor Martin Kaiser said the paper is "not about to embrace a crusade for Prohibition."
"But Wisconsin has a problem, and averting our eyes is no longer acceptable," he said. "How we as a statewide community address this problem depends first on our understanding of the phenomenon and its consequences, and second on our collective willingness to address painful questions and to demand change."
Monday's articles looked at how most felony drunk drivers - those with five convictions - avoid prison time. Future articles will look at the personal consequences of drunk driving, the lobbying power of the Tavern League of Wisconsin, and the drunk driving deal toll along one of the state's most heavily traveled highways.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here