title: 2010 National and State Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excessive alcohol use cost the U.S. $223.5 billion in 2006. Given economic shifts in the U.S. since 2006, more-current estimates are needed to help inform the planning of prevention strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 2012 to March 2014, the 26 cost components used to assess the cost of excessive drinking in 2006 were projected to 2010 based on incidence (e.g., change in number of alcohol-attributable deaths) and price (e.g., inflation rate in cost of medical care). The total cost, cost to government, and costs for binge drinking, underage drinking, and drinking while pregnant were estimated for the U.S. for 2010 and allocated to states.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Excessive drinking cost the U.S. $249.0 billion in 2010, or about $2.05 per drink. Government paid for $100.7 billion (40.4%) of these costs. Binge drinking accounted for $191.1 billion (76.7%) of costs; underage drinking $24.3 billion (9.7%) of costs; and drinking while pregnant $5.5 billion (2.2%) of costs. The median cost per state was $3.5 billion. Binge drinking was responsible for >70% of these costs in all states, and >40% of the binge drinking-related costs were paid by government.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excessive drinking cost the nation almost $250 billion in 2010. Two of every $5 of the total cost was paid by government, and three quarters of the costs were due to binge drinking. Several evidence-based strategies can help reduce excessive drinking and related costs, including increasing alcohol excise taxes, limiting alcohol outlet density, and commercial host liability.
authors.affiliation: Sue Binder Consulting, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address: sacksj@bellsouth.net.
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.affiliation: Bureau of Disease Control, Prevention and Epidemiology, Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing, Michigan.
authors.forename: Katherine R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Ellen E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bouchery
authors.affiliation: Substance Abuse Epidemiology Section, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Tomedi
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Program, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000191:economics*; D035082:Federal Government; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States