The societal cost of alcohol consumption: an estimation of the economic and human cost including health effects in Sweden, 2002.
This article estimates the societal cost of alcohol consumption in Sweden in 2002, as well as the effects on health and quality of life. The estimation includes direct costs, indirect costs and intangible costs. Relevant cost-of-illness methods are applied using the human capital method and prevalence-based estimates, as suggested in existing international guidelines, allowing cautious comparison with prior studies. The results show that the net cost (i.e. including protective effects of alcohol consumption) is 20.3 billion Swedish kronor (SEK) and the gross cost (counting only detrimental effects) is 29.4 billion (0.9 and 1.3% of GDP). Alcohol consumption is estimated to cause a net loss of 121,800 QALYs. The results are within the range found in prior studies, although at the low end. A large number of sensitivity analyses are performed, indicating a sensitivity range of 50%.
Health Economic Program, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmo, Sweden. johan.jarl@med.lu.se
Johan
J
Jarl
Pia
P
Johansson
Antonina
A
Eriksson
Mimmi
M
Eriksson
Ulf-G
UG
Gerdtham
Orjan
O
Hemström
Klara Hradilova
KH
Selin
Leif
L
Lenke
Mats
M
Ramstedt
Robin
R
Room
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013548:Sweden