ALCOHOL ABUSE: THE HIDDEN COSTS

Alcohol abuse in the United States may cost as much as $120 billion in economic losses annually, and insurers bear a substantial portion of the burden. As many as 150,000 people die each year as a direct or indirect result of alcohol, according to the National Academy of Sciences. The costs of alcohol abuse extend far beyond the obvious ones. There are the costs of police and emergency medical personnel and of damaged property. Less obvious are the costs of the criminal justice system and the cost of lost productivity due to death, injury, incarceration, court testimony and social welfare for those unable to cope with the impacts of the tragedies. The cost of treatment and rehabilitation for those who accept alcohol abuse assistance also figures in the total. Then there are the intangible costs--the pain and suffering, the underachievement of children traumatized by the loss of parents or the impact of an alcohol impaired family life, and the thousands of unreported brawls and acts of vandalism stimulated by alcohol abuse. Excessive drinking also inflates health care costs, has become the third leading cause of birth defects, plays a significant role in child abuse, and affects productivity in the workplace.

• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Information Institute

  110 William Street
  New York, NY  United States  10038
• Authors:
  • Levy, W
• Publication Date: 1983-11

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 18-23
• Serial:
  • Journal of Insurance
  • Volume: 44
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Insurance Information Institute

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol abuse; Costs; Economics; Insurance industry; Losses; Productivity
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00387821
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-036 524
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 30 1984 12:00AM