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SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Center for Disease Control released a report and statement Tuesday about the monetary costs of binge drinking in 2006, and Utah is listed as the highest cost per drink.
The costs considered in the study aren’t simply about the price of alcohol, but rather the costs that may result from excessive drinking. These costs include losses in workplace productivity, health care expenses, criminal expenses and property damage costs.
The CDC estimates that in 2006 excessive drinking cost the U.S. $2.9 billion, ranging from $420 million in North Dakota to $32 billion in California.
The report defined binge drinking as “consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men or four or more drinks on an occasion for women.” While excessive drinking is reported by only 18 percent of adults in the U.S., the report indicates that binge drinking accounts for more than 70 percent of alcohol-related costs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The study indicated that the District of Columbia had the highest per person at $1,662, while Utah had the highest cost per drink at $2.74, which is over 69 percent higher than the national average of $1.91 per drink.
“Excessive alcohol use has devastating impacts on individuals, families, communities, and the economy,” said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “In addition to injury, illness, disease, and death, it costs our society billions of dollars through reduced work productivity, increased criminal justice expenses, and higher healthcare costs. Effective prevention programs can support people in making wise choices about drinking alcohol.”
But these monetary costs don’t include loss of life, which the report also addressed. It stated that excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for 80-thousand deaths and 2.3 million years of potential life lost each year in the U.S.
The CDC provides information on preventing excessive drinking at their community page and their public information page.
