Further research has confirmed that alcohol abuse imposes a heavy burden on society, with health care, treatment, productivity losses, premature death, crime, and legal costs in the billions of dollars. Researchers have estimated that 45 percent of these costs are borne by the abusers and their families, and 20 percent are borne by the Federal government. While researchers attempt to be comprehensive when estimating economic costs, estimates in areas such as productivity losses are based on statistical inference. Furthermore, the estimates cannot capture all the important aspects of the alcohol-related burden. As a result, other factors must be taken into account before any action is taken to reduce costs; estimates must be viewed as part of a larger whole.
