Your Drinking Habits May Be Draining The American Economy

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

Excessive alcohol use cost each state about $3.5 billion in 2010.

According to recent estimations, excessive drinking has drained $249 billion from the US economy in 2010, and these costs have been escalating in the past few years.

The study’s authors recommended several strategies to curb excessive drinking and the costs. Costs were related to crime, a reduction in workplace productivity and treating health-related problems associated with drinking.

Approximately 77% of these expenses were proven to be in direct association with binge drinking, a practice that consists in consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time.

The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation also found that in 2012 the prevalence of binge drinking in women was 12.5 percent and men were more than double that at 25.5 percent in 2012.

“The increase in the costs of excessive drinking from 2006 to 2010 is concerning”, said Robert Brewer, head of the CDC’s Alcohol Program, “particularly given the severe economic recession that occurred during those years”. According to the study, Washington D.C. had the most cost per person at $1,526, while New Mexico had the most cost per drink at $2.77 (in comparison to the national average of $2.05). Those include increasing alcohol excise taxes and increasing a commercial host’s liability, the study said.

Overall, the numbers represent a sizable increase of more than $20 billion since the last study in 2006.