Excessive drinking is draining America’s economy

Excessive consumption of alcohol costs the US a whopping $250billion – the equivalent of $2.05 per drink – according to the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to a study released by the CDC, excessive drinking cost the US $249 billion in 2010 – $2.05 per drink.

More than $100 billion of these incurred expenses were paid by the government, according to the experts’ calculations.

In descending order, other factors contributing to the staggering costs of over-indulgence in alcohol were: mortality caused by excessive drinking, crime and incarceration, medical care and traffic collisions.

“The increase in the costs of excessive drinking from 2006 to 2010 is concerning, particularly given the severe economic recession that occurred during these years”, Robert Brewer, CDC’s Alcohol Program head said in a statement.

The study’s authors recommended several strategies to curb excessive drinking and the costs.

Excessive alcohol consumption is related to 88,000 deaths annually, with one in 10 among Americans aged 20 to 64.

In cost per capita, D.C. leads the pack, followed by Alaska, New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado.

The study defined binge drinking as consuming at least five drinks for men, four for women, over the course of two hours.

North Dakota had the lowest excessive drinking cost in 2010 ($488 million) and California had the highest ($35 billion). Those include increasing alcohol excise taxes and increasing a commercial host’s liability, the study said.

The researchers still believe the costs are underestimated as much of the information surrounding alcohol is unavailable.