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Study: Alcohol-Related Injury Crashes Cost State $131 million a Year

By The Associated Press

Story Created: Feb 5, 2010 at 5:55 PM MST

Story Updated: Feb 5, 2010 at 5:55 PM MST

MISSOULA, Mont. - A University of Montana economist says alcohol-related injury crashes cost the state economy $131 million a year.

Steve Seninger says adding that total to a colleague's earlier estimate of the economic cost of alcohol abuse in the state brings the total to $642 million.

A report by Patrick Barkey in 2009 said lost work productivity, alcohol treatment costs and health care costs of alcohol-related vehicle fatalities cost the state economy $511 million.

Seninger's report argues alcohol-related injury crashes should be included in the overall costs.

Seninger's report is included in information being given to the Legislature's Law and Justice Interim Committee as it seeks to draft bills addressing the state's drunken driving rate. The committee is meeting Monday and Tuesday in Helena.

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frankie said on Saturday, Feb 6 at 5:04 PM

Good point Buck. Let's see, 330 million people in the USA, that brings the tab to a little over $2.1 trillion dollars. That's 3 times as much as the entire liquor industry sells every year! If you can't dazzle 'em, baffle 'em with @#@#$%%.

Buck said on Saturday, Feb 6 at 4:49 PM

That works out to over $64,000 per person in the state, assuming a population of 1 million. If you believe that, then you must believe that unemployment went down. Isn't Government math fun?

frankie said on Saturday, Feb 6 at 1:51 PM

The whole state runs on 10 Billion dollars a year, does this "economist" really think we're stupid enough to believe that almost 7% of the state budget is wasted on alcolics? How stupid is that?

Marie said on Saturday, Feb 6 at 12:49 PM

Do you still think it's not worth the cost to stiffen drunk driving or driving high laws? If there were higher fines, and long term treatment and jail time for repete offenders(3 strikes your out/in jail long term) maybe people would think twice about getting behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle.

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