The costs of binge drinking on society
Time and again, even in this space, smokers are ripped in the media.
This ain’t the ‘50s and ‘60s. There are no more ads with heroes like Stan Musial and Mickey Mantle, imploring that “From my very first puff – man, it was Viceroys for me!” Now, smokers just hear how much of a drag they are on society, costing Canada about $11 billion in health care costs and lost productivity each year, by one estimate.
Let’s give smokers a breath though, shall we? A new report details not the societal costs of hacking butts but binge drinking, which smokers would love to tell you is just as bad.
And, according to a new report out of the U.S., the cost of each drink adds up quick.
By numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each excessive drink* is worth a tab of about $2 in health care costs and other expenses.
(*An excessive drink is classified here as any drink consumed when four, five or more are slurped on a given occasion.)
The CDC reports the costs of drinking cost society about $224 billion in 2006, the last year data was available, which worked out to about $1.90 per drink. Calculated costs, in addition to health care, included damage from car crashes, lost work productivity, expenditures for liver cirrhosis and money spent on incarcerating and prosecuting drunk drivers.
*Bing: What province pays most for cigarettes?
In Canada, to the best of this blog’s knowledge, such by-the-drink numbers have never been released. Recently, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reported the economic burden of alcohol abuse costs each Canadian $463 per year.
“In fact,” CAMH says, “the direct health care costs for alcohol abuse in Canada exceed those of cancer.”
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Elmo | Oct 20, 2011 7:19:38 PM
And what about the cost of all the suicide hotlines used up by the me, me, me generation who's lives are dependant upon their own sense of entitlement and who consume such medically safe products as ecstasy and a myriad of other over the counter pills. Not to mention their fast food lifestyles that will make them obese by age 30 and add another echelon of medical costs. Underage binge drinking or mixing alcohol with narcotics and other new generation products such as "energy" drinks are another disaster waiting to happen. At least they'll be able to twitter and facebook each other about their dismal lives.
Posted by: Oscar | Oct 21, 2011 3:10:11 AM
Elmo, your comment is hilarious. You seemed to get very defensive and then lashed out on an entire gereration over an article that did not accuse any generation of being any worse than another. im guessing you are about 50 and work 8 to 4 at a sterile job and drink a few more beers after your shift than you did on your lunch break to avoid going straight home where your drinking is judged instead of embraced ~ as it is, at your regular wattering hole. And I also guess you are as obese as the generation you illustrate in your reply. You definately sport a beer belly, have bad breathe, a lonely wife, kids who avoid you, and a "bar" you call home. You havent learned anything in years, and have a negative comment to offer any conversation you join. You get jealous easily, and our kids are afraid they will turn out like you. You dont see a suicide hotline and think of all the good it can offer, you instead judge the people who are brave enough to call it, it because you are so "dependant upon your sense of entitlement". Im guessing someone has divorced you. Im also guessing you dont hold a door open for anyone, and you eat loudly, and you dont tip well. Other than this Elmo, you sound real nice.
Posted by: steve | Oct 21, 2011 3:43:53 AM
Oscar,...You should consider the time and energy you just wasted away critisizing this persons opinon! Btw opinions are like arseholes and you defintly are one!
Posted by: dennis | Oct 21, 2011 7:22:59 AM
when they include all taxes collected on alcohol and tobacco i might actually pay attention to this endless rant...YES its bad for you but as to the "cost", i think this is a pointless argument without revenues generated added.
Posted by: Twiddlebug | Oct 21, 2011 10:29:48 AM
Jason, glad to see your partner is running to your defense... @You Oscar! Don't tell me, an aspiring 1'st, or is it 2'nd year?
Posted by: Cookie Monster | Oct 21, 2011 12:12:58 PM
dee only ting me like as much as COOKIES is me BOOZE!!!
Posted by: Patrick Wood | Oct 21, 2011 1:55:25 PM
FYI, Our tax system is based is dependent on gambling, tobacco, prescription drugs and booze. Sorry, lets not forget the
new "fat based" food tax over in some European based weirdo nation as well. Did I miss any other taxable
habits that bring in countless billions to our tax base. I am not defending the tobacco, alcohol or drug industries. Where do you yuppy clowns get the idea that life is perfect. The costs for maintaining us all when we become elderly is staggering! I say live to the fullest but try not to hurt the people who you are close to. That's all there is in life. Better to crash and burn than just rot away slowly in a n abusive
old age home!
Posted by: Dale | Oct 21, 2011 2:28:30 PM
Considering that historical facts show alcohol use(wine,fermented drink)drugs(cocaine,opium)smoking(again opium and peace pipes)by humans for centuries(look it up)its apparent that in our so called modern civilized world with all the social media that comments would be made about problems that society has always had.Except now with nearly 7 billion people on the planet ,computers,social media,television,etc.everyone knows what the neighbors are doing before they do!The costs have always been there since the beginning of invention or discovery of all these habits.The sudden lets all be perfect in every way routine nowadays is clearly used to point fingers.Of course if none of these habits don't bring us all down lets add the pedophile priests,war mongers,rapists,terrorists(you get the idea)etc.and then tally the costs and add that to the cost list as well.Lets face it,the human race just can't get it's shit together and probably never will.Don't worry,be happy!
Posted by: binder dundat | Oct 21, 2011 2:59:00 PM
who cares, drink all you want, smoke all you want..we have one life and live it the way you want. Too many people have this idea in their head that we should be living our life a certain way.
Posted by: frank | Oct 21, 2011 3:22:11 PM
You win binder dundat,titties and beer at 5:00 ish ??
Posted by: John | Oct 21, 2011 3:37:49 PM
Oscar needs to cool down. He's right about one thing, Elmo's comment was hilarious. But it was hilarious because it was extremely poignant and accurate. I especially like the part about our goofy youth being able to facebook and tweet each other about their dismal lives. And this is coming from a 26 year old who is part of this goofy generation.
Posted by: Ernie | Oct 21, 2011 3:42:45 PM
The government gulps down at the tax trough from cigs and booze and then what?They put ads out in the media for AADAC,AA,etc.What a bunch of hypocrites.Good thing I don't have any of those habits.Well gotta go,time to get my 6/49 and stop off to play a few slots at the casino.......hahahahahahaha.
Posted by: Sabura | Oct 21, 2011 4:11:53 PM
No drink no dope no blues no coke..my whole day now is very touch and go...no wine no weed no white no speed and time is really moving very slow...i need a smoke and it ain't no joke by now the pressure really starts to climb...i tried calling cocaine kenny but he wasn't getting any and anyway my guru says no!
Posted by: Slip Wilson | Oct 21, 2011 4:25:22 PM
Stop telling me how to die.
Posted by: Ernie | Oct 21, 2011 5:24:55 PM
Totally Slip.Even the healthy people end up 6 feet under.They just live longer to pay more taxes.All mind control.Is it Happy hour yet? snicker.
Posted by: Mortimer | Oct 21, 2011 5:50:47 PM
As long as they got pills to get rid of the ills from drinkin' the swills,it's belly up to the bar.
Posted by: Nancy | Oct 21, 2011 5:55:04 PM
If it wasn't for women drinking alcohol most of us wouldn't even be here.Right ladies? helllooo.
Posted by: The Rock | Oct 21, 2011 5:59:42 PM
Whiners,Have another swally,do ya need a nipple for that?
Posted by: MikeH | Oct 21, 2011 6:13:08 PM
Men too, Nancy. Most mothers are pretty ugly.
Posted by: Elmo | Oct 21, 2011 6:59:21 PM
@MikeH... not to mention the coyotes hanging around when the bars close. Another drink never hurt in those situations.
Posted by: David Dickinson | Oct 21, 2011 8:04:36 PM
The Government of British Columbia licences, promotes, sells, and profits from this poisonous substance without adequately advising consumers of its medical and behavioural risks, despite being well-aware of these risks. Although the Provincial Crown is British Columbia's biggest drug dealer, it has yet to be held liable for damages in a class-action civil suit for all the car accidents, deaths and injuries, spousal assaults, fetal damage, brain damage, employee absenteeism, industrial accidents, and health complications suffered by ill-advised consumers who ingested government-approved alcohol products or who were harmed by someone else who ingested these dangerous substances.
Have you ever heard of a guy smoking a couple of cigarettes or a couple of joints then going psycho and beating up his wife, his best friend, or some stranger? (Like Cst Griffin Gillan did?) Have you ever heard of a teenage girl blacking out after smoking pot or tobacco and then getting raped? Alcohol causes violence and it's time for the victims to sue big time.
I don't have a problem with alcohol as a beverage. As long as you don't drink to the point of experiencing psychoactive effects, no harm is done to the nervous system or brain. But as a recreational drug, it sucks. Even moderate alcohol consumption over time causes brain damage: see 'Alcohol Intake and Cerebral Abnormalities on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Commmunity-Based Population of Middle-aged Adults,' Jingzhong Ding, PhD, et al, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and others, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The answer is not prohibition, it's education. Know what you're putting into your body.
Posted by: BIG BIRD | Oct 22, 2011 11:08:52 PM
Isnt ecstasy mda man I loved that stuff made me think i could fly!Man the societal costs of every thing these days what a draggggg just give me a hit of lsd 25 YEH!
Posted by: jose bleau | Oct 23, 2011 9:48:56 AM
And why doesn't CAMH explain how the refuse help to people with this problem? People with this problem are kicked to the curb and left there. That is why the costs are so high!!!!
Posted by: Heather | Oct 23, 2011 2:06:57 PM
I find that most people i have met that are smokers are also drinkers. And as far as the comment by Elmo to be valid and Oscar just dumb.
Personally I do not smoke, drink excessively and am not even close to the sad person Oscar describes but have seen first hand what Elmo refers to.For the record my eldest is well adjusted and taking her university masters but have i also experienced the other end of the spectrum.I have 4 kids, they are all different, youngest 16 and its a sign of the times, for better for worse and i think drugs and alchohol go hand in hand with teen smokers and they do have a sense of entitlement and do not take a lot of personal responsibility for their actions either, not all kids, but a vast majority for sure.
Now thats gonna cost a fortune no matter how you look at it.
Maybe someone should do a study on how many drunk drivers and drug abuse users are also smokers ? I would also wager a lot of young people in that lifestyle do not have an active supportive father in their lives. I firmly believe that as much as financial child support is essential the courts should also mandate that both parents are responsible to also be a practical and emotionally supportive parent if able .Walking away and sending a cheque is not being a parent.
Posted by: Heather C. | Oct 24, 2011 1:14:24 PM
"Lets face it,the human race just can't get it's shit together and probably never will."
Dale, if 2012 ever does happen, I would be more than happy to save the lives of good people like you. let all the others go and make a better, acceptable society where people know what it's like to love again!