If you get drunk in D.C., you’re not just hurting your liver – you’re taking a toll on the District’s economy.
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control pegs D.C. as the city where binge drinking is racking up the highest costs.
The District pays $1,662 per person for “losses in workplace productivity, health care expenses, and other costs due to a combination of criminal justice expenses, motor vehicle crash costs, and property damage,” according to the study. All these costs come as a direct result of binge drinking, or five-or-more drinks for men and four-or-more drinks for women.
And, apparently, these numbers are low-ball estimates because the study “did not consider a number of other costs, such as those due to pain and suffering by the excessive drinker or others who were affected by the drinking.”
So, next time you start your night with shots in Thurston Hall or tequila on U Street, think about the economy.