By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Feb 24, 2008 at 5:22 AM

"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee.com is back for another round! The whole month of February, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun bars and club articles -- including guides, bartender profiles, drink recipes and even a little Brew City bar history. Cheers!

Statistically, Wisconsin has a high rate of alcoholism. In fact, a recent study conducted at the University of Wisconsin found that Wisconsin has the highest national rate of high school drinking, with 49 percent of students drinking alcohol regularly. Wisconsin also came in first in the nation for underage drinking (39 percent), drinking among adults (69 percent), binge drinking among adults (22 percent) and chronic, heavy drinking (8 percent).

Perhaps the penchant for imbibing is because of the city's history of brewing beer or the high number of indulgent outdoor festivals, but many people who move away from Brew City -- either temporarily or permanently -- say that they notice a difference in the Dairy State's drinking culture compared to other places. In short, it seems we drink more alcohol here.

But what's your personal experience? 

This week's Sound-off targets anyone who moved away from Milwaukee for a period of time. Do you think that Wisconsinites drink more alcohol than people in other states, or is this a popular misconception?

Hell yes, Wisconsinites drink more. People in Wisconsin drink a lot more. Binge drinking is more acceptable, and many community events are centered around drinking. It might be fun, but it's unhealthy, and not something I noticed until moving away.

No, Wisconsinites don't drink more. I've lived in other places and I have not noticed this. There are heavy drinkers everywhere; Wisconsin is not alone or unique in this way.