The study’s authors recommended several strategies to curb excessive drinking and the costs. Washington D.C. had the highest cost per person at $1,526, compared to the national average of $807.
Advertisement
The study, released Thursday, looked at the impacts of binge drinking, as well as behaviors like underage drinking and drinking while pregnant, on the government and economy.
It’s important to note that the CDC’s current estimates are based on changes in the occurrence of alcohol-related problems and the cost of paying for them since 2006; in which case, there’s a chance a few of the component costs were misestimated.
According to the study, the total cost to the North Carolina state government from high alcohol consumption was about $2.8 billion.
Robert Brewer, head of the alcohol program of CDC, called the rise in costs “concerning”, especially with the severe economic crunch happening from 2006 to 2010. New Mexico had the highest cost per drink at $2.77.
Drinking more than five drinks on one occasion for men, and over four for women, constitutes as binge drinking.
This habit brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels at 0.08 g/dL and normally occurs when people consume around 4-5 drinks in about 2 hours. According to the CDC an incredible $249 billion dollars a year.
77 percent of those 2010 costs were a result of binge drinking. But the researchers believe their findings are actually underestimating the real economic losses of heavy drinking, since they don’t account for the cost of things like pain and suffering.
It might be fun to throw back a couple of cold pints with buddies after work, but excessive drinking isn’t something to be taken lightly – it is responsible for about 88,000 deaths each year. Those include increasing alcohol excise taxes and increasing a commercial host’s liability, the study said.
Advertisement
Excess alcohol consumption, in one sitting especially, has been implicated as one of the leading causes of premature death.
