Economic Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in the U.S., 2006

Abstract

Background: Excessive alcohol consumption causes premature death (average of 79,000 deaths annually); increased disease and injury; property damage from fıre and motor vehicle crashes; alcohol-related crime; and lost productivity. However, its economic cost has not been assessed for the U.S. since 1998.Purpose: To update prior national estimates of the economic costs of excessive drinking.Methods: This study (conducted 2009 -2010) followed U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines to assess the economic cost of excessive alcohol consumption in 2006. Costs for health care, productivity losses, and other effects (e.g., property damage) in 2006 were obtained from national databases. Alcohol-attributable fractions were obtained from multiple sources and used to assess the proportion of costs that could be attributed to excessive alcohol consumption. Results:The estimated economic cost of excessive drinking was $223.5 billion in 2006 (72.2% from lost productivity, 11.0% from healthcare costs, 9.4% from criminal justice costs, and 7.5% from other effects) or approximately $1.90 per alcoholic drink. Binge drinking resulted in costs of $170.7 billion (76.4% of the total); underage drinking $27.0 billion; and drinking during pregnancy $5.2 billion. The cost of alcohol-attributable crime was $73.3 billion. The cost to government was $94.2 billion (42.1% of the total cost), which corresponds to about $0.80 per alcoholic drink consumed in 2006 (categories are not mutually exclusive and may overlap).Conclusions: On a per capita basis, the economic impact of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. is approximately $746 per person, most of which is attributable to binge drinking. Evidencebased strategies for reducing excessive drinking should be widely implemented. (Am J Prev Med 2011;41(5):516 -524)

Binge Drinking Intensity

“…2 More than half of these deaths and three-quarters of the economic costs are due to binge drinking 1,2 (≥4 drinks for women; ≥5 drinks for men, per occasion). 3,4 Binge drinking also is associated with a range of health and social problems, such as motor vehicle crashes, interpersonal violence, new HIV infections and sexually transmitted infections, liver cirrhosis, cancers, stroke, and alcohol dependence.…”

Associations of occupational attributes and excessive drinking

“…For employers, consequences of employees' excessive drinking include high job turnover rates, co-worker conflict, injuries, higher health benefit costs, and workplace aggression (Mangione et al, 1999;McFarlin et al, 2001;McFarlin and Fals-Stewart, 2002;Webb et al, 1994). Economic costs resulting from lost productivity, health care costs, and legal and criminal consequences of excessive drinking were estimated $223.5 billion in 2006 (Bouchery et al, 2011).…”

Alcohol Screening and Intervention Among United States Adults who Attend Ambulatory Healthcare

“…2,3 Unhealthy alcohol use is a leading cause of death 4,5 and costs the U.S. approximately $223 billion per year. 6 The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that primary care settings deliver universal alcohol screening among adults and provide brief alcohol interventions to those with risky or hazardous drinking. 7,8 Screening and brief intervention services reduce alcohol consumption and net healthcare costs among risky and problem drinkers who do not have alcohol use disorders of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence.…”