WI tops nation in binge drinking: report
Atlanta (AP - 8/1/97)

Magazines rank colleges and CEOs. Mr. Blackwell unveils his list of the best and worst dressed each year.

The government released a list Thursday showing a state-by-state breakdown of poor health habits.

"This is a status report," said Eve Powell-Griner, a statistician with the CDC and Prevention. "It says, this is where we are this year."

It may come as no surprise that KY, a top tobacco state, has the highest percentage of smoking. But WI had the highest percentage of binge drinkers. And Washington, D.C. cornered the market on couch potatoes.

The report, which shows states' behavior for 1994 and 1995, is based on telephone surveys of about 1,200 to 4,400 people over age 18 in each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

The CDC said the report may even underestimate the health problems because not everyone is eager to confess their habits.

In KY, 27.8% of people said they smoked cigarettes, the highest among all states. Utah's percentage of 13.2% was the lowest.

Greg Lawther of the state KY's Dept. of Public Health, who manages the adult health branch, sighed when he heard the news.

"We don't want our state to be on the top of that list," Lawther said. "But it's pretty compelling evidence that we've got more smokers than anybody. It helps us realize how significant smoking is in this state."

WI may be the dairyland, but drinking milk is not the problem there: 22.9% of adults are binge drinkers - more than five drinks at one sitting. Tennessee had the lowest number of binge drinkers - 5.2%.

The report also found that 25.9% of people in WI said they didn't get any exercise and 21.8% smoked cigarettes. Most of them buckle up, however: 56% say they wear a seatbelt when driving or riding in a car.

When it comes to working out, 48.6% of people in the nation's capital said they don't exercise. They might take a clue from the West - in CO, a mere 17.2% of adults are sedentary.

The CDC's report doesn't explain the reasons behind the state differences, but said it helps states improve or add to their programs to fight health problems.

"Although we can't come to any exciting conclusions here, it's extremely useful in terms of targeting potential problem areas," Powell-Griner said about the lists.

Many states have found the numbers useful when applying for federal grants. Insurance companies also use the numbers to compare the behavior of adults who are and aren't insured.