Last Wednesday, the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a study noting Wisconsin still has one of the highest binge drinking rates in the nation.

The study revealed between 2007 and 2008, 22 percent of Wisconsinites ages 18 to 25 reported alcohol abuse and dependence within the previous year.

In the report, 51 percent of Wisconsinites polled reported drinking within the previous month, which is well above the national average at 41 percent.

Jason Brame, communications coordinator at the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute of Milwaukee, said the trend of Wisconsin being in the bottom five states consistently in these surveys is cause for concern and change. CAPPIM is an organization that works to implement changes to reduce poverty in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

“It’s a continuing trend that needs to be dealt with in a more serious way,” Brame said. “The public has begun to realize that addiction is also treatable and the law is slowly catching up as well.”

Brame said new laws are being passed that address this situation. Before, insurance companies used to be able to set a much smaller cap for addiction than a physical injury, but now that is not allowed.

Binge drinking in Wisconsin is one of the state’s cultural rituals, Brame said.

“The culture in the state plays to drinking in social situations,” Brame said.  “If you look at the numbers, evidence of that is lower than the national average age 18 to 25 don’t perceive danger in binge drinking, that statistic speaks volumes on how we relate to alcohol in Wisconsin.”

That drinking culture carries over to universities in Wisconsin, including Marquette. Brian Anderson, Marquette’s coordinator for alcohol programs, said he sees the university’s rates rather high compared to others.

“I see students struggling to socialize when alcohol is not present,” Anderson said. “I also see binge drinking related to students attempting to flex their ‘independence muscle’ since they are away from home for the first time. If students are not aware of the effects of alcohol, that is where problems begin to occur.”

In order to combat the drinking culture in Wisconsin, and the lack of help for alcoholism, the university’s counseling center has ways for students to look for help if they need it, Anderson said.

Michael Zebrowski, the director of the counseling center, said the after effects of binge drinking aren’t as fun as they seem on the surface.

“Students seem to get pulled into excessive drinking, even when the behavior itself is probably not that enjoyable,” said Zebrowski.  “Depressed moods, memory loss, physical accidents and poor academics are at times minimized as students pursue what they think is a ‘fun’ night.”

However, despite the drinking culture in Wisconsin and Marquette, Anderson and Zebrowski both said that many Marquette students do not binge drink and choose to partake in other social activities.

They gave examples such as Late Night Marquette, MUSG After Dark, Residence Hall Association and Residence Hall sponsored activities, Sober Party Kids (a social group on campus that organizes events through Facebook) and speakers throughout the year.

“We also received a three year grant from the NCAA to work on new programs that are geared toward the entire campus, but utilizing student athletes and athletic events,” Anderson said.  “We are in our first year of that grant.  Also, if students request a program or outreach I’d be happy to work with them.”