Kaiser Hospital Assess Cost Of Alcohol Use/Abuse

Alcohol Related Injury

Alcohol and Trauma

The combination of drinking and driving results in one injury every minute, and one death every 22 minutes.

The nation's trauma centers are overwhelmed by the number of intoxicated drivers each week. A stroll through the hallways of their emergency rooms each weekend, make it clear just how big a problem alcohol related injury is. The majority of those injured have either been drinking or were injured by someone who was drinking at the time. The cost to society is staggering.......costing the United States around 50 billion dollars/year.

In spite of these facts, drinking and driving continues to be very common. Judges and juries are lax where punishment is concerned....almost certainly because they have been guilty of drinking and driving, or at least have friends who drink and drive. This is an issue of personal responsibility, which should not be viewed lightly by society or the courts. If you drink you should not drive, and if you get caught then swift, sure and effective punishment should be imposed. The cost in human lives and dollars demands action.

Lucas CE, Joseph AL, Ledgerwood AM.

Alcohol and Drugs. In Trauma 2nd Ed., Moore EE, Mattox KL, Feliciano DV. eds.

Accident Facts, National Safety Council, Chicago, 1988.