Alcoholism, the abuse of alcohol, has been a problem in our country for centuries.  However, with the current slump in our economy, it seems the number of the abusers is going up again.  It’s no secret with the rising unemployment rates and the somewhat bleak near future, that many people are turning to the bottle.  In fact that seems to be the only market that is experiencing an increase in sales; although we have to consider at what cost.

With so many Americans out of work, alcoholism puts a financial strain on both the country and the individual. There are many families and individuals that do not currently have private insurance .  When someone drinks too much and blacks out or suffers from alcohol poisoning and they don’t have insurance, the state has to pay.  There are also increased health costs for infants born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Not to mention the long term health effects of consist alcohol consumption including liver disease, brain damage, and even some types of cancer.  While addiction treatment centers are available, they are often very costly and put more financial strain on the family.  There are other more cost effective methods of addiction treatment, such as 12 Step programs and Alcoholics Anonymous; however, if dual diagnosis treatment is required there are not too many ways to avoid the cost.  The best method is to avoid the bottle.

Alcohol abuse also puts great pressure on the justice system by increasing crime rates.  When people drink there are more cases of domestic violence, as well as homicide and suicide.  Despite education and harsher DUI laws, drunk driving is still one of the number one killers in America.  Also of this combined requires more officers on the street, an increased cost for cities that are already financially strapped.

Perhaps if more people considered the potential health and financial risks to themselves and their families, as well as to the community and country they call home, our situation wouldn’t look so bleak.

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