GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — Northeast Wisconsin Health Officials are skeptical of a report by 24/7 Wall Street that claims that Appleton, Oshkosh, and Green Bay are the “drunkest” cities in the United States.
Kris Kovacic with the Brown County Health Department says the numbers don’t reflect reality.
“There is not a lot of updated data in the article,” Kovacic told WTAQ. “All of the work we have put into curbing binge drinking isn’t being reflected.”
Kovacic says that, so far, no deaths this year in Brown County have been the result of drunk driving. The report–which was first released in 2016 and updated this year–lists the percentage of driving deaths in Green Bay involving alcohol at 47.5%.
Kurt Eggebrecht is with the Appleton Health Department. He says the survey–which claims that Appleton has the 9th highest rate of bars per capita–is out of context.
“If you’re not from the region you might not understand that Appleton is a hospitality district,” Eggebrecht said. “So, disproporitionately, we have more bars and retailers that sell liquor than other municipalities.”
The survey measured the percentage of adults drinking to excess and the percentage of driving deaths involving alcohol.
