Commercial Value of Underage & Pathological Drinking


Alcohol addiction cost the nation an estimated $220 billion in 2005 — more than cancer ($196 billion) or obesity ($133 billion). The alcohol industry’s enormous financial interests in underage drinking and pathological drinking are impediments to curbing these risky and costly behaviors.

Key Takeaways

In 2001, the alcohol industry earned between $48.3 and $62.9 billion from underage and adult pathological drinking, a value representing 37.5%-48.8% of total consumer expenditures. Other key findings include the following:

Recommendations

Research Methods

This report is based on analyses of prevalence data from several national data sets, as well as alcohol consumption data from the alcohol industry.