The Burden of Binge Drinking in Wisconsin

Binge drinking in Wisconsin costs almost $4 billion a year, which is approximately $700 per Wisconsin resident. Over two-thirds of the economic cost of binge drinking is in lost productivity. These results show a staggering economic impact to the state. The negative health and social consequences of binge drinking are far-reaching and come at a great economic cost.

The Burden of Binge Drinking in Wisconsin report highlights Wisconsin state and county-level costs associated with binge drinking, a sub-category of excessive alcohol consumption. Binge drinking is responsible for the majority of the excessive alcohol consumption costs in Wisconsin and is a critical public health concern. County-level profiles are included in this report to provide estimates of the economic cost of binge drinking and other available county-level indicators to help facilitate discussion at the local level. Changes in policy and the use of evidence-based prevention strategies can reduce the negative health, social, and economic impacts of binge drinking.

Policy and prevention resources:

For questions regarding the report, contact Sarah Linnan (linnan@wisc.edu).