Page 102 - 2015 Compass Now

HEALTH Rivers Region, mainly located in Vernon and Monroe Counties, have been labeled “food deserts.” See the
Community profile for more information on this.

Excessive and risky alcohol use has long been an issue of concern in the Great Rivers Region. It has been
identified as a major problem in each of the previous COMPASS NOW Reports. Alcohol use has a deep-rooted
culture in our community going back to the late 1800s, in part due to the strong role of the brewing industry
in our region. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), excessive alcohol use, either in the form
of heavy drinking (more than two drinks per day on average for men, or more than one for women) or binge
drinking (drinking five or more drinks on a single occasion for men, or four or more for women), can lead to
increased risk of health problems such as liver disease and/or unintentional injuries21. Excessive alcohol use
is the third leading cause of death for people in the United States each year. Rates of alcohol dependence
and alcohol abuse continue to be higher in Wisconsin than throughout United States. Counties in the Great
River Region have similar rates of heavy drinking and binge drinking. The environment plays an important
role in whether or not these behaviors have a significant public health impact. Rural areas of our region have
a greater chance of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, whereas urban areas of our region are more likely
to see alcohol poisoning, drowning, and other acts of violence worsened by high alcohol concentrations.

In 2012, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services determined that there were 43 alcohol-related deaths
in the Great Rivers Region; however, death is not the only unintended consequence of excessive and risky
alcohol use. The average rate of alcohol-related hospitalizations in the Great Rivers Region in 2014 was 2.3
hospitalizations per 1,000 people. La Crosse County had the highest rate at 3.4, which was significantly
higher than the state average of 2 per 1,000 population. In 2014, approximately 24.2% of adults in the
Great Rivers Region reported excessively drinking in the past 30 days. This was similar to the Wisconsin
average of 24%, but higher than the Minnesota average of 19%.

According to the 2011 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, motor vehicle crashes (MVC)
accounted for 33,804 deaths, or 10.7 deaths per 100,000 population. Unintentional injuries are the fourth
leading cause of death in the United States, and motor vehicle crashes (MVC) top this category nationally.
Rates of MVCs vary significantly between counties in the Great Rivers Region. As stated above, counties with
a greater percent of their highways as county roads, such as Monroe, Trempealeau, Vernon, and Houston,
have a higher crash rate than La Crosse County. These rates are also higher than Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Rates of alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities have also been higher in Wisconsin than throughout the
United States for many years. Wisconsin has 1.5 times the national rate of arrests for operating a motor
vehicle while intoxicated and more than three times other liquor law violations.

How common are risky behaviors among our youth?

High school youth in the Great Rivers Region were surveyed on various health risks by completing the Youth
Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in Wisconsin or the Minnesota Student Survey in Houston County. Results of key
health behaviors are shown in Table 9.

Tobacco use among students has been on the decline for many years. In the 1990s, over 40% of high
school students reported smoking in the past 30 days. Today, 17.3% of the youth in the Great Rivers Region
reported using tobacco in the past 30 days. Houston County had the highest rate at 31%, while Trempealeau
County had the lowest rate at 10.2%.

According to national results of the 2013 YRBS survey, approximately 17.3% of youth in the Great Rivers
Region binge drank in the past 30 days, and 8% drove after drinking. This is a significant concern, especially
given the nature of many poorly lit and narrow rural roads in our area. The combination of high speed,
inexperience driving, and alcohol are potentially very dangerous.

Marijuana and other drug use continue to be on the rise in Wisconsin over recent years. Of youth who
participated in the YRBS in the Great Rivers Region, 22.8% reported having ever used marijuana. The
highest rates were found in La Crosse County and the lowest rates were in Houston County.

94 COMPASS NOW 2015