Minnesota's Excessive Drinkers Cost State $7.8 Billion In 2019: Study

MINNESOTA — Excessive drinking cost Minnesota nearly $8 billion in 2019, according to a new study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health.

The financial impacts of drinking include lost productivity, crime, motor vehicle crashes, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, researchers said.

The study, which was published Thursday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that the greatest financial cost fell on the binge drinkers themselves and their families.

However, Minnesota's excessive drinkers are also a financial burden to the state government, health insurance providers, and employees, the study said.

Excessive drinking cost Minnesota $7.85 billion in 2019 or $1,383 per Minnesota resident, researchers found.

Excessive drinking includes:

• Binge drinking
  • (four or more drinks on an occasion for women, five or more drinks for men)
• Heavy drinking
  • (eight or more drinks per week for women, 15 or more drinks per week for men)
• Any drinking among pregnant people or people under age 21

"Excessive drinking can significantly affect individual health, but it also has a cost for families, communities, and the health care system," said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm in a news release.

"The financial burden is staggering, and of course there are additional psychological and societal impacts and harms in addition to those measured here. It’s important that we acknowledge these impacts and find ways to mitigate them."

Other findings from the study include:

• Alcohol contributed to lost productivity through increased absenteeism, impaired productivity at work and at home, premature death, and jail time.
• Alcohol was attributed to 35 percent of all inpatient health care costs in the state.
  • Excessive drinking is linked to an increased risk of violence and injury, but also chronic health problems like liver disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
• Minnesotans experience an impact cost equivalent to $2.86 for each alcoholic drink purchased.

State authorities are implementing a strategy against excessive drinking called "Place of Last Drink" or POLD.

POLD is a system that collects data on where someone last drank when they are stopped for any type of alcohol-related incident, such as a traffic stop. It's currently being used in nearly 30 Minnesota communities.

Bars or other establishments that are named frequently can be offered assistance and education to improve practices to reduce illegal service to customers who are already intoxicated.

Minnesotans can use the "Check Your Drinking" tool on the Center for Disease Control website to help avoid drinking to excess.