Alcohol Use Carries Large Price Tag

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that excessive alcohol consumption cost the nation a median of $2.9 billion in 2006. Numbers for individual states varied from $420 million in North Dakota to $32 billion in California. Binge drinking accounted for over 70% of expenses associated with excessive alcohol use. Most of the costs are associated with lost workplace productivity and increased health care costs. Other expenditures included those generated through the criminal justice system, automobile accidents and property damage.

Excessive alcohol consumption accounts for over 80,000 deaths annually; binge drinking is responsible for over 50% of those fatalities.