Alcohol is a significant contributing factor to crime, preventable injuries (motor vehicle crashes, domestic violence, child abuse, drowning, suicide, etc.) and adverse health outcomes, such as cirrhosis-the 9th leading cause of death in the US-immune system problems, brain damage, and cancer. Alcohol use increases the risk for certain cancers, especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat, and larynx or voice box. Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects.

In purely economic terms, alcohol-use problems cost the US an estimated $148 billion dollars per year in medical costs, lost productivity, crime, and losses resulting from premature death.¹

Alcohol abusers bear less than half (45%) of the economic cost of alcohol abuse. The majority of the cost (55%) is borne by society or nonabusing persons who pay the government tab, increased private health and life insurance costs, and medical and property bills as victims of crime and incidences resulting in unintentional injuries such as motor vehicle crashes.²