While heavy drinking is often associated with American culture, a new report from the Center for Disease Control suggests that nationwide heavy drinking and alcoholism is costing the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars a year in health care, and Washington D.C. and Alaska top the list of highest per capita alcohol costs, the Daily Mail reports.
The new study from the CDC claims that binge drinking, alcoholism and alcohol abuse results in taxpayers being burdened with the subsequent costs of lost productivity, crime, related health problems and early death. That means that for every alcoholic beverage purchased, taxpayers pay about $2 in additional fees.
The survey, which will be published this fall, studied states during the year 2006. In Washington D.C. that year, residents consumed more than 680 drinks each.
But states like Utah, where this a strong Mormon influence, there was overall less alcohol consumption and thus, lower costs for taxpayers. In 2006, residents of Utah consumed less than 200 drinks each and paid just $578 per capita, while D.C. residents paid a whopping $1,662. In addition to the nation's capital, Alaska, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona are among the states with the most heaviest drinkers.
"Excessive alcohol use has devastating impacts on individuals, families, communities, and the economy," CDC Director Dr Tom Frieden said in a statement, according to the Daily Mail. "In addition to injury, illness, disease, and death, it costs our society billions of dollars through reduced work productivity, increased criminal justice expenses, and higher healthcare costs. Effective prevention programs can support people in making wise choices about drinking alcohol."
About 42 percent of heavy drinking costs were paid for by state and federal funds, be it through Medicare, Medicaid or other government services, and an estimated 70 percent of the total costs were incurred by binge drinkers, or those who consume five or more drinks episodically. Notably, there is currently no consensus on what constitutes a "binge," as people's tolerance varies depending on age, gender, genetics and a variety of other factors.
States with the highest annual drink consumption per capita included New Hampshire, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Delaware, Wisconsin, Vermont and Florida, while states with the lowest included Utah, Oklahoma, Arkansas, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Despite New Hampshire's low per capita ranking, the CDC points out that many residents who buy packaged liquor come from other states, while in Nevada, most heavy drinkers are tourists.
Click here to see a full list of statistics from the CDC's latest study on alcoholism and binge drinking costs in the U.S.
The study will be published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in October.
