"Research shows that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life. New research also indicates that alcohol may harm the developing adolescent brain." -Acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu, M.D., M.P.H in a press release dated March 6, 2007
The annual economic costs of substance abuse to the U.S. economy is estimated at over $414 billion.1
Annually, more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. are attributable to excessive alcohol consumption. Causes directly or indirectly related to alcohol deaths include drunk driving, cancer, stroke, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, and other adverse effects.1
Underage drinking costs the nation almost $60 billion a year-- enough to buy every public school student a state-of-the-art computer.1
At least half of adults arrested for major crimes-- including homicide, theft, and assault-- tested positive for drugs at the time of their arrest. Among those convicted of violent crimes, approximately half of state prisons inmates and 40% of federal prisoners had been drinking or taking drugs at the time of the offense.1
Alcohol and drug abuse are factors in the placement of more than 75% of children entering foster care.1
The price tag for Alcohol in California
The total economic costs of alcohol use is $38 billion annually.2
This translates to roughly $1,000 per California resident or $3,000 per family each year.2
How alcohol causes death in California
One person dies every hour due to alcohol use.2
Total number of lives lost each year to alcohol use is 9,439.2
For more information please read the Annual Catastrophe of Alcohol in California from the Marin Institute, PDF Document here.
2Annual Catastrophe of Alcohol in California, November 2009, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, www.marininstitute.org
