The High Cost of Excessive Alcohol Consumption

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state than would have occurred in the absence of alcohol dependency. Table 3 Earnings Impacts From Alcohol Dependency (Males in the Labor Force) Male Labor Force

Age

Mean Earnings

Number Alcohol Dependent

Mean Earnings of Alcohol Dependent

Total Earnings of Alcohol Dependent

Total Earnings if Not Alcohol Dependent

Alcohol Dependency Cost

18-19

7,389

$1,643

1,388

$1,448

$2,009,824

$2,280,484

($270,660)

20-24

32,055

$14,938

7,732

$13,242

$102,387,144

$115,500,616

($13,113,472)

25-34

66,099

$37,447

14,304

$33,395

$477,682,080

$535,641,888

($57,959,808)

35-44

80,530

$56,016

16,009

$50,083

$801,778,747

$896,760,144

($94,981,397)

45-54

100,948

$64,975

17,949

$58,659

$1,052,870,391

$1,166,236,275

($113,365,884)

55-64

71,943

$49,170

9,360

$44,267

$414,339,120

$460,231,200

($45,892,080)

$2,851,067,306

$3,176,650,607

($325,583,301)

Totals

358,964

66,741

Combined, the lower levels of earnings of alcohol dependent individuals that result from lower labor force participation and the reduced earning of alcohol-dependent workers will have indirect and induced “multiplier impacts” on the NH economy. We estimate that these multiplier impacts result in 4,623 fewer jobs in the state and $227.8 million in labor income. C. Direct Costs to Industry: Absenteeism Key Findings:   

More than 54,000 workers who use alcohol excessively by binge drinking are employed by NH businesses. Over $27 million in alcohol attributed absenteeism costs are incurred by NH businesses because of alcohol problems. The output (value of goods and services) of industries was reduced by more than $71 million because of alcohol-attributable absenteeism in NH in 2011.

Method: To develop our estimate of the prevalence of binge drinking by industry in NH, we began with an analysis by the Center for Integrated Behavioral Health Policy7 that estimates the prevalence of excessive alcohol use, by industry, using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. These national data were adjusted to alcohol consumption patterns in New Hampshire to estimate the number of employees in NH who binge drink. The difference between the mean numbers of reported days missed from work between employees who binge drink and those who do not binge drink was used to estimate the impact that binge drinking has on the absenteeism of employees by industry. Applying adjusted rates of binge drinking by industry

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