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.

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