[Estimating the socioeconomic costs of alcohol drinking among adolescents in Korea].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to estimate the socioeconomic costs resulting from alcohol drinking among adolescents as of 2006 from a societal perspective.


METHODS
The costs were classified into direct costs, indirect costs, and other costs. The direct costs consisted of direct medical costs and direct non-medical costs. The indirect costs were computed by future income losses from premature death, productivity losses from using medical services and reduction of productivity from drinking and hangover. The other costs consisted of property damage, public administrative expenses, and traffic accident compensation.


RESULTS
The socioeconomic costs of alcohol drinking among adolescents as of 2006 were estimated to be 387.5 billion won (0.05% of GDP). In the case of the former, the amount included 48.25% for reduction of productivity from drinking and hangover, 39.38% for future income losses from premature death, and 6.71% for hangover costs.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that the socioeconomic costs of alcohol drinking among adolescents in Korea were a serious as compared with that of the United States. Therefore, the active interventions such as a surveillance system and a prevention program to control adolescents drinking by government and preventive medicine specialist are needed.
Kim
Jaeyeun
J
Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Korea.
Chung
Woojin
W
Lee
Sunmi
S
Park
Chongyon
C
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004526:Efficiency; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors