The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study to find out just how much American drinking habits cost our society every year, and the answer is pretty shocking: $249 billion. Yep, billion with a “b.” That’s $2.05 per drink!
Where do these costs come from? $75 billion of it comes as a result of early mortality caused by alcohol consumption. Americans lose a whopping $82 billion per year because of lost productivity and missing work as a result of drinking. Healthcare and crime caused by alcohol consumption each cost society $28 billion and $25 billion, respectively. Underage drinking accounts for $24.3 billion. The government covers about $100 billion of these costs through institutions like Medicare and the criminal justice system. The remaining $150 billion must be covered by American taxpayers.
The societal cost-per-drink actually varies by state—anywhere from $0.92 (New Hampshire) to $2.77 (New Mexico). It’s actually possible for you to calculate how much your own drinking habits cost society just by inputting your state and how many drinks you consume on a weekly basis.
Alcohol taxes bring in about $16 billion in revenue per year, according to the Washington Post—not nearly enough to cover the $100 billion the government must spend on costs that come as a result of alcohol consumption. This is why many feel the tax should be raised—higher costs would also discourage binge drinking. However, the alcoholic beverage industry contributes about $400 billion to the U.S. economy every year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Still, this study serves as a pretty shocking reminder of the economic impact any of our choices can have.