CDC: Add $2 per drink for US excessive drinking

October 17, 2011 By MIKE STOBBE , AP Medical Writer in Health

(AP) -- The toll of excessive drinking works out to about $2 per drink, in terms of medical expenses and other costs to society, according to a new federal research.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study calculated societal costs from binge and heavy drinking beyond what consumers pay at the bar or liquor store. It's the first such federal estimate in more than a dozen years.

The study looked at costs that included - among other things - lost , property damage from car crashes, expenditures for and other alcohol-associated medical problems, and money spent on incarceration of drunk drivers and criminals using alcohol.

The CDC estimated excessive drinking cost society nearly $224 billion in 2006, the most recent year for which all necessary statistics were available. That worked out to about $1.90 per drink, 80 cents of which was spent by federal, state or local governments, the researchers estimated. The rest came from drinkers, their families, private health insurers, employers, crime victims and others.

Most of that was related to binge drinking, in which four or five alcoholic beverages are consumed on one occasion.

" results in binge spending," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.

noted that while some health benefits have been associated with, say, a glass of wine each day, there are no health benefits linked to excessive drinking. They also said the new study likely represents an underestimate of the total cost.

Smoking has been estimated to cost society about $193 billion annually. An older study estimated the cost of not exercising to be around $150 billion.

The study was released Monday by the .

©2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Alphakronik
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 3.5 / 5 (2)
I wonder if they have seen the study that shows the "Smoking has been estimated to cost society about $193 billion annually" has already been debunked.

What the study shows is the fact that with those people dying much earlier in life, they don't end up on Medicaid during the most financially expensive time in their lives.

Class Warfare propaganda. It always serves a purpose. Money.

Until you take profit out of healthcare, B.S. such as this will continue to be funded by those who stand to profit from it.
LVT
Oct 18, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
I wonder if we put the heads of the people who think this on pikes it would have a societal benefit?
Vendicar_Decarian
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: 3 / 5 (4)
"I wonder if we put the heads of the people who think this on pikes it would have a societal benefit?" - LVTard

I remember the Libertarian arguments supporting the right of the individual to drive drunk.

The demand was that it was all a matter of personal liberty and freedom to travel on the public roads unimpeded by government fiat.

Libertarians have grown increasingly more idiotic since then.

gmurphy
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: not rated yet
The best way to prevent binge drinking is to encourage regular moderate consumption. I jealously measure out a glass of red wine each evening and drain every last drop of it. Doing so has been my most successful strategy for prevent alcohol binges during the weekend, leaving me much more productive during my two days off.
ryggesogn2
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: not rated yet
Why not prohibit alcohol consumption?
antialias_physorg
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Why not prohibit alcohol consumption

Does the term 'prohibition' ring a bell (1919-1933)? Do you know how that turned out?

The best way to prevent binge drinking is to encourage regular moderate consumption.

the best way to prevent binge drinking is to not make alcohol a mysterious/forbidden substance. Once it loses its mystique it loses its appeal.
kaasinees
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
The best way to prevent binge drinking is to encourage regular moderate consumption. I jealously measure out a glass of red wine each evening and drain every last drop of it. Doing so has been my most successful strategy for prevent alcohol binges during the weekend, leaving me much more productive during my two days off.

a glass of wine now and then promotes blood flow. very healthy i believe.

the best way to prevent binge drinking is to not make alcohol a mysterious/forbidden substance. Once it loses its mystique it loses its appeal.

let a child taste alcohol, s/he will stay off it for a long time.
ryggesogn2
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: not rated yet
Does the term 'prohibition' ring a bell (1919-1933)? Do you know how that turned out?

Just about as well as the war on drugs.
Is that $2 over and above the taxes paid by companies like Jack Daniels"
"Federal, state and local taxes accounted for $7.77, or 55%, of the average $14.21 price for a typical 750ml bottle of 80 proof distilled spirits in the United States in 2010."
Vendicar_Decarian
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
"Why not prohibit alcohol consumption?" - RyggTard

It appears that in many people there is a genetic predisposition for the consumption of alcohol - probably a result of an association between naturally occurring alcohol and ripe, fermenting, sugar rich fruit.

Prohibiting the consumption of alcohol is therefore like prohibiting the consumption of refined salt or refined sugar which have similar genetic components to their consumption.

Limiting consumption is however, a viable goal, best approached by limiting the production foods containing the salt/sugar/alcohol that is to be controlled.

How long have you been a supporter of the unregulated overconsumption of alcohol RyggTard?

Vendicar_Decarian
Oct 19, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
"Federal, state and local taxes accounted for $7.77, or 55%, of the average $14.21 price for a typical 750ml bottle of 80 proof distilled spirits in the United States in 2010." - RyggTard

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

You poor mindless drunk.
Nerdyguy
Oct 21, 2011

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Here's the fallacy - this type of academic exercise can easily be applied to any routine, any type of consumption, any habit or activity. There are many, many things that each of us does that, with proper forethought, could be done in a better, more efficient, more intelligent manner.

I am certain that there is a dollar figure negatively associated with the consumption of each additional calorie beyond one's core energy requirement. Same for the use of petroleum products. Air conditioning, smoking, coal use, the use of a personal vehicle vs. public transportation, etc., etc.

The CDC would be wise to leave the dollar figures to insurance industry actuaries and focus instead on the specific health problems they are attempting to combat.

Rank 5 /5 (1 vote)
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