The researchers attribute the cost to:
- Reduced Workplace Productivity
- Crime
- Treating Health Problems
The data indicates that binge drinking was responsible for 77 percent of the costs. In 2010, states each paid a median of $3.5 billion in alcohol-related costs, the article reports. Some states paid a lot more than others, with North Dakota paying $488 million to California paying $35 billion.
“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,” said Robert Brewer, M.D., M.S.P.H., head of CDC’s Alcohol Program and one of the study’s authors.
“Effective prevention strategies can reduce excessive drinking and related costs in states and communities, but they are under used.”
The study appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.