Britain’s binge drinking is costing UK taxpayers a massive £4.9 billion a year – and young people are the worst culprits – say the authors of a report released today.
Compiled by researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Essex, the report calculates a total cost for the effects of binge drinking by examining a range of social and economic factors. These include trips to A&E, arrests, road accidents and police officer reports.
The findings reveal that those aged 18-30, university students and individuals in their mid to late twenties are most likely to drink excessively on nights out, with the largest amount of drinkers heading out at the weekend. Researchers that worked on the study, for the University of Bath’s Institute for Policy Research (IPR), say current policies in place to regulate sales of alcohol and consumption are “inadequate” in mitigating the economic effects. The merged £4.9 billion figure costs each person in the UK a staggering £77 per year.
They point to the possibility of raising the minimum unit price for alcohol to 52p, and an increase in excise duty in correlation with the strength of a particular beverage, as policy solutions. If this system were to be implemented, party-goers could see a pint of beer increase by 23p, and a bottle of wine by almost a pound.
Both habitual and occasional binge drinking can increase the prevalence of injury-related A&E trips by 8%, road accidents by 17%, the report finds. Arrests skyrocket by 45%, and an additional 3 police officers are drafted into work at short notice per 10,000 drinkers.
Presenting his findings to a conference audience in Manchester this morning, Dr Jonathan James, from the University of Bath, said: “Much is known about the effects and costs of sustained heavy drinking in relation to increased risks of chronic diseases, the damage to social relationships and the increased burden placed on public services. However, little is known about the economic and social effects of binge drinking.”
Alcohol use has long been identified as a leading preventable cause of death in the UK, with heavy drinkers risking their chances of contracting cancer, injuries and other chronic diseases. Now the tax payer’s pay packet is also suffering the consequences of an excessive night out.
Professor Marco Francesconi, Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Essex, a collaborator for the study, said: “Our calculations suggest a cost of £4.9 billion per year. This is large when compared to government’s spending on some welfare programmes. For instance, it corresponds to 23% of the expenditures on Housing Benefit.
“Furthermore, our estimate does not include costs associated with absenteeism, lost employment, reduced productivity, and long-term health problems,” he added.
An advanced version of the report and its findings are available to view on the University of Bath’s website.
Esquire
Britain's binge drinking costs billions | The Rabbit Newspaper
Britain’s binge drinking is costing UK taxpayers a massive £4.9 billion a year – and young people are the worst culprits – say the authors of a report released today.
Compiled by researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Essex, the report calculates a total cost for the effects of binge drinking by examining a range of social and economic factors. These include trips to A&E, arrests, road accidents and police officer reports.
The findings reveal that those aged 18-30, university students and individuals in their mid to late twenties are most likely to drink excessively on nights out, with the largest amount of drinkers heading out at the weekend. Researchers that worked on the study, for the University of Bath’s Institute for Policy Research (IPR), say current policies in place to regulate sales of alcohol and consumption are “inadequate” in mitigating the economic effects. The merged £4.9 billion figure costs each person in the UK a staggering £77 per year.
They point to the possibility of raising the minimum unit price for alcohol to 52p, and an increase in excise duty in correlation with the strength of a particular beverage, as policy solutions. If this system were to be implemented, party-goers could see a pint of beer increase by 23p, and a bottle of wine by almost a pound.
Both habitual and occasional binge drinking can increase the prevalence of injury-related A&E trips by 8%, road accidents by 17%, the report finds. Arrests skyrocket by 45%, and an additional 3 police officers are drafted into work at short notice per 10,000 drinkers.
Presenting his findings to a conference audience in Manchester this morning, Dr Jonathan James, from the University of Bath, said: “Much is known about the effects and costs of sustained heavy drinking in relation to increased risks of chronic diseases, the damage to social relationships and the increased burden placed on public services. However, little is known about the economic and social effects of binge drinking.”
Alcohol use has long been identified as a leading preventable cause of death in the UK, with heavy drinkers risking their chances of contracting cancer, injuries and other chronic diseases. Now the tax payer’s pay packet is also suffering the consequences of an excessive night out.
Professor Marco Francesconi, Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Essex, a collaborator for the study, said: “Our calculations suggest a cost of £4.9 billion per year. This is large when compared to government’s spending on some welfare programmes. For instance, it corresponds to 23% of the expenditures on Housing Benefit.
“Furthermore, our estimate does not include costs associated with absenteeism, lost employment, reduced productivity, and long-term health problems,” he added.
An advanced version of the report and its findings are available to view on the University of Bath’s website.
Esquire