A new report shows that alcohol-related problems take a $38.4 billion toll annually on the state of California.
Alcohol-related illnesses alone represent 47 percent or $18.2 billion of the annual cost, according to "The Annual Catastrophe of Alcohol in California," conducted by the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog organization.
According to the study, an average of 9,439 Californians lose their lives to alcohol each year, with 57 percent - or 5,382 deaths - the result of an alcohol-related illness.
"What makes these study results both so complex and so tragic is how alcohol-related harm takes so many forms and affects so many lives," said Michele Simon, the Marin Institute's research and policy director. Simon co-authored the report with Ted Miller of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and Simon Rosen, a Marin Institute research analyst.
Marin's study calculates that moderate-to-high alcohol consumption in California is costing roughly $1,000 per resident or $3,000 per family annually. By comparison, tobacco costs the state approximately $550 per resident. The study also estimates $25.3 billion in lost productivity and reduced earnings.
Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, public health officer and director of the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department, said, "Marin Institute's report is a much needed reminder of the harm and costs associated with alcohol consumption in California."
The Marin Institute is calling for a number of steps to reverse the trend, including higher alcohol taxes to reduce excessive consumption and related harm and costs. While the harmful cost of alcohol is equal to $2.80 per drink, current alcohol taxes amount to only 8 cents per drink.
"The alcohol lobby has been very effective in minimizing their taxes and fees to just 1.7 percent of their income from sales," said Bruce Livingston, the Marin Institute's executive director. "It's time we hold Big Alcohol accountable by getting them to pay their fair share."