Wisconsin Leaders May Add To State’s Drinking Problems

There’s something going on in Wisconsin right now that you must know about…

Yesterday, Oct. 5^th, the proposed assembly and senate bills to make alcohol more available and accessible passed in Committee, which means it could be voted on any day now! These bills will change the opening hours of alcohol retailers. Assembly Bill-63/Senate Bill-44 will change alcohol retailers’ opening hours from 8am to 6am, permitting people to purchase alcohol two hours earlier than previously allowed. 

Nationwide studies show that increasing access to alcohol increases alcohol abuse. Wisconsin is already third in the nation for alcohol consumption and first in the nation in drunken driving. In 2009 alone, alcohol-related crashes killed 250 people and injured nearly 4,000 in Wisconsin (WI DOT). Alcohol is also one of the major contributors to chronic disease in our state – which is currently linked to two out of every three Wisconsin deaths annually, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. If our state leaders choose to adopt this bill, they are choosing the path to more risky drinking in our communities, costing us more money and lives.

Furthermore, if this bill is passed, it sends the message to our youth that the earlier you can begin consuming alcohol, the better.  It displays our tolerance for allowing people to get access to alcohol at almost any time of day, and it only opens up the door for more amendments that could eventually lead to 24-hour availability of alcohol. There is no reason to increase access to alcohol in our state. Not now, not ever.

We need our leaders to send the right message to our kids - we don’t need alcohol before breakfast, that there is a voice to be heard against Wisconsin’s alcohol abuse and our state’s culture of binging on beer and liquor will not be accepted.