Chapter Two: Alcohol and Its Costs

1. Chapter Two: Alcohol and Its Costs

2. points for consideration • Alcohol use in the U.S. • Patterns of alcohol consumption • Social costs related to alcohol use • Personal costs resulting from alcohol

3. drinking in the U.S. • Alcohol legally available drug • 65% of all Americans drink • Statistically average American annual consumption = 2.18 gal. ethanol 30 % from liquor 14 % from wine 56 % from beer

4. variety of drinking patterns • Statistically average American is a myth • Drinking patterns are variable • Drinking patterns vary with —gender  household income age  education race  geographic region marital status  community type religion  marital status

5. distributionofconsumption

6. demographics of drinking • Gender: Women less likely to drink • Age: Above age 25, older people drink less • Race/ethnicity • Whites highest rate of drinkers • Hispanics & African-Americans large number non-drinkers — • Racial/ethnic groups % of non-drinkers • 48% Hispanic women • 54% African-American women • 43% African-American men • 33% Hispanic men

7. demographics of drinking(cont.) • Education • use increases with education • 34 % less than high school diploma drink • 63% college graduates drink • Income level • drinking rises with income

8. demographics of drinking(cont.) • Geographical region • Northeast highest % drinkers • South lowest % of drinkers • But South highest per capita consumption among drinkers • Marital status • Widowers lowest % drinkers,remainder little difference • Highest % heavy drinking among never-married

9. international comparisons • Why comparisons are difficult • different ways of collecting data • variation in proportion of population who drinks • Nonetheless. . . • differences are diminishing • declines in developed countries • increases in developing countries

10. economic considerations • Economic costs related to alcohol use • health care, lost work, crime, injuries • Economic benefits to society • tax revenues, hospitality industry, beverage industry • Cost-benefits • for each $1 taxes, $10 costs

11. social costs alcohol, 1998 $ billion% costs Reduced productivity, work 87.7 47.8 Reproduced productivity, home 15.0 8.2 Motor crashes 20.9 11.3 Related illness 15.9 8.6 Unintentional injury (not auto) 17.6 9.6 Crime 7.2 3.9 FAS 11.2 6.0 Alcohol Treatment 8.5 4.6

12. personal costs Alcohol disproportionately a factor in • injuries burns and fires • falls motor vehicle fatalities • suicide water mishaps • crime violence • health care costs

13. health care and alcohol use Those with alcohol problems . . . • have a disproportionate share of health care costs • represent about 10% of population, but 20% of hospitalizations, and • the members of their families have higher use of health care

14. alcohol problems: prevalence • 7.7% of those 12 years or older • Of those with an alcohol problem, 17% also have a drug problem • One in three people report having a family member with an alcohol problem • Only 5% of those with alcohol problem are on skid row or homeless

15. focus on drugs: Afghanistan • Afghanistan produces 90% of opium poppy • Why? Land poorly suited for other crops • Poppy cultivation well suited to small plots • Poppy provides access to credit • Loan repaid not in $ but next year’s crop • No other crop provides comparable income • Wages for laborers harvesting opium are twice that paid for other crops