Impact of Alcohol Policies on Health in Rural Northern Wisconsin

Project Description Narrative:

Excessive alcohol consumption is an important public health issue that impacts multiple aspects of health and well-being for individuals, families, and communities in Wisconsin. Wisconsin experiences a disproportionate impact and burden from excessive alcohol use compared to other states, and this occurs across the state, including in rural counties, which record some of Wisconsin’s highest county-level alcohol-related hospitalization rates and death rates.

This study will analyze multiple local alcohol policy approaches in rural communities across northern Wisconsin in relation to alcohol consumption patterns, traffic collisions, and health outcomes to inform prevention efforts and provide opportunities to reduce the negative impact of excessive drinking and alcohol use. It will also evaluate the roles of socioeconomic demographic characteristics in policy choices, alcohol consumption patterns, and health outcomes.

This pilot project will dive deep into alcohol policies and outcomes in three-to-six rural northern Wisconsin counties, which could lead to more effective recommendations for preventing excessive alcohol use in those counties and in other rural Wisconsin communities.