Impact of Alcohol on the U.S. Economy and Its People

¶ … Alcohol on American Society Today

Physicians maintain that small amounts each day are good for human health, but millions of Americans misuse ethyl alcohol in ways that are deleterious to their health. To determine the facts, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the consequence and benefits to American society of the use, abuse, misuse, and overuse of alcohol. A brief history of alcohol is followed by its licit and illicit pathways, impact on individuals, families, and American society. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the consequences and benefits of alcohol to American society are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Recent research indicates that today, the United States has one of the lowest rates of alcohol consumption in the developed world (U.S. drinks the lowest amount of alcohol in the developed world, 2011). The typical American consumes about 2.5 gallons of beer (or 31 glasses of wine) each year versus 4.6 gallons of beer for the average consumer in the UK and about 5.3 gallons of beer for the average Russian consumer (U.S. drinks the lowest amount of alcohol in the developed world, 2011). Despite these lower amounts, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reports that, "The U.S. beverage alcohol industry is a major contributor to the economy, responsible for over $400 billion in total U.S. economic activity in 2010, generating nearly $90 billion in wages and over 3.9 million jobs for U.S. workers" (Economic contributions of the distilled spirits industry, 2014). Indeed, the sale of distilled spirits totaled more than $120 billion in 2010 alone, a figure that does not include beer and wine (Economic contributions of the distilled spirits industry, 2014). The beer industry in the United States is enormous, accounting for almost $80 billion in revenues each year (Economic ripple effect, 2014). Likewise, wine sales in the United States reached unprecedented levels in 2012, totaling more than $360 billion (2012 wine sales in U.S. reach new record, 2013).

Paradoxically, while small amounts of alcohol each day can help prevent heart disease, larger amounts of alcohol consumed on a regular basis can increase the risk of cancer (Seitz & Becker, 2007). In this regard, Seitz and Becker (2007) report that, "Epidemiologic studies have unequivocally identified chronic alcohol consumption as an important risk factor for the development of cancers of the organs and tissues of the respiratory tract and the upper digestive tract, liver, colon or rectum, and breast" (p. 38). Moreover, while the revenues generated by the alcohol industry in the United States run into the billions, there are other problems associated with alcohol use and misuse as well that offset these economic benefits. In fact, more than 100,000 Americans die each year from deaths related to alcohol consumption (Howard & Flora, 2004). The health care costs and associated lost productivity from alcohol-related deaths, injuries, and illness in the United States each year have been estimated at nearly $150 billion (Howard & Flora, 2004).