I'm from Wisconsin and it's practically our culture to drink alcohol. There are not to many people I know that don't drink and it even seems odd hearing about people who don't, unless they have had a problem with it in the past. In my city of Lacrosse we has the largest six pack, more bars on one street than any in the USA, and the largest Octoberfest in the US. So yeah in a way it kinda sucks trying to sarge in the bars here because everyone is wasted all the time. I'm now trying to go downtown sober all night and it seems like a challenge because your competing with guys who are drinking with all there worries, ego, and everything blown away. But you really get to know yourself and others a lot more when you don't because like you said alcohol is a crutch and will never help you succeed in anything because it's such an artificial state of mind.