The cost of excessive drinking in the US increased by about 2.7pc annually between 2006 and 2010, from $223.5bn to $249bn, according to a new study funded by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and led by Jeffrey J. Sacks of Sue Binder Consulting Inc. The authors said lost productivity was the biggest single source of costs (71.9pc), followed by healthcare (11.4pc). Binge drinking accounted for $191.1bn (76.7pc) of costs, underage drinking for $24.3bn (9.7pc) and drinking while pregnant for $5.5bn (2.2pc).

(Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine)

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, December 7th, 2015