According to different evaluations which have been carried out in Europe, the cost of alcoholism represents 2 to 6 percent of Gross National Product, depending on the country.
It was estimated in 2001 that substance abuse costs the US society more than $410 billion per year. Notably, roughly half of all serious crimes are committed by people under the influence.
In Great Britain (1996) there was approximately 33 000 alcohol related deaths a year. Alcohol is involved in 15% of traffic deaths, 26% of drownings and 39% of deaths in fires. About 65% of suicide attempts are linked to heavy drinking. Alcohol is a factor in 40% of domestic violence incidents, and in a third of child abuse cases. Heavy drinking is a common factor in family break-up - marriages where one or both partners have a drink problem are twice as likely to end in divorce as marriages where alcohol problems are absent. Offender or victim have been drinking in 65% of murders and 75% of stabbings. Up to 14 million working days are lost each year due to alcohol-related problems. Alcohol-related problems costs British industry an estimated £2 billion a year due to absenteeism and poor work performance. (This figure does not include the 25% of workplace accidents which are alcohol-related). The National Health Service responses to alcohol-related health problems cost an estimated £150 million a year. Drink-related traffic crime costs £50 million a year.
2. Having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL (4 to 5 drinks) increases one's risk of injuries 20 times.
3. We have treatment options that work and they are severely under-utilized. In the USA, only 18 percent of the federal anti-drug budget goes to treatment, 12 percent goes to prevention. The rest goes to supply-side approaches.