The precise estimation of the cost of alcoholism and its consequences is 
currently the subject of methodological debate, partly because many costs 
related to alcohol abuse can not be measured directly. It is possible to 
calculate the cost of alcohol in terms of lost production and cost of medical 
services. Alternatively, indirect supplementary costs, such as damage as a 
result of the influence of alcohol and inefficiency at work are more difficult 
to quantify. According to different evaluations which have been carried out in 
Europe, the cost of alcoholism represents 2 to 6 % of Gross National Product, 
depending on the country. 
The consequences of alcohol abuse affect the drinker himself, the immediate 
environment as well as the rest of society, resulting in problems in : 
physical and mental health (the drinker and the family), 
    the workplace (absenteeism, lowered productivity and quality...), 
    road accidents (see Alcohol and driving), accidents in the home, at work 
    (see Alcohol and work), 
    public disorder (delinquency, violence...) (see Alcohol and violence), 
    the family (disharmony, maltreatment or abuse of other family members, 
    economic and social difficulties...) (see Alcohol and the family). 
    The costs of alcohol include : 
Costs for industry 
sick leave 
    domiciliary assistance 
    unemployment 
    premature death. 
    Costs to national health services 
psychiatric hospitals, cost of outpatient care (alcoholic psychosis, alcohol 
    dependence syndrome, non-dependent alcohol abuse) 
    non psychiatric hospitals, cost of outpatient care (alcoholic psychosis, 
    alcohol dependence syndrome, alcoholic cirrhosis and alcohol related 
    illness) 
    other outpatient costs from other alcohol related pathology 
    consultations with general practitioners 
    Costs of social intervention 
expenses of national organisations fighting alcohol abuse 
    research 
    Costs of material damage 
road traffic accidents (third party damage) 
    Cost of delinquency 
police intervention in road traffic offences (excluding road accidents) 
    police intervention in road traffic accidents (including judicial 
    administration and insurance) 
    judicial action related to drink 
    Some writers have highlighted evidence that when national consumption decreases, 
the number of certain social problems decreases also. For example, from 1979 to 
1982 in the United Kingdom, when consumption of pure alcohol per inhabitant fell 
from 10.4 litres to 9.2 litres, a parallel reduction of 11 % was seen in the 
number of convictions for drunkenness, 8 % in convictions for drink-driving and 
a drop of 4 % in the number of deaths from cirrhosis of the liver. 
Medical costs of alcoholism 
The data on mortality taken from death certificates written by doctors, include 
death from cirrhosis and other conditions related to alcohol abuse, alcoholism 
and alcoholic psychosis. The accuracy of these data and the frequency of 
pathology related to alcohol indicated on death certificates are very variable. 
It is possible that what is recorded is often incorrect. For example, ischaemic 
cardiopathy may be recorded instead of myocardiopathy of alcoholic origin, and 
pathology related to chronic alcoholism is sometimes omitted. Alcohol abuse is a 
contributing factor or a determining factor in many diseases and deaths which 
are attributed to other causes, for example cancer of the upper respiratory 
tract, the digestive system and oesophagus, and deaths from road accidents or 
accidents at work. 
Cost of alcoholism for industry
For business, the total cost per alcoholic includes amounts for outpatient 
medical costs, medications, hospitalisation and absenteeism. More than 70% of 
this financial burden comes from absenteeism (See Alcohol and work). 
References
Godfrey C. The economic impact of alcohol misuse. Decision making in alcohol 
    dependency. Tangent Medical Education,1996. 
    Godfrey C. & Maynard A. Alcohol and Public Policy. The economic evaluation 
    of alcohol policies, pp238-249. Oxford Medical Publication, 1995. 
    Cook P.J. "The social costs of drinking". Paper presented at the Expert 
    Meeting on the Negative Social Consequences of Alcohol Abuse, Oslo, Norway, 
    1990. 
    Kendell R.E. The beneficial consequences of the United-Kingdom's declining 
    per capita consumption of alcohol in 1979-1982. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 19 : 
    271-276. 1984. 
    McDonnel R. & Maynard A. The costs of alcohol misuse. Bristish Journal of 
    Addiction, 80 : 27-85. 1985. 
    Norström T. The impact of per capita consumption on Swedish cirrhosis 
    mortality. Bristish Journal of Addiction, 82 : 67-75. 1987. 
    


 
 


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