IORTI Alcohol Impact Project
What excessive drinking costs
The figure most often quoted for what excessive drinking costs America — $249 billion — describes the year 2010, and it is still in circulation. This page rebuilds the same 26-part method used to produce it and runs it on current data. For the United States, the answer is $420 billion in 2021.
“Cost” here means real resources used and work not done — medical care, lost earnings, crashes, courts and prisons — carried by families, employers, insurers and taxpayers together. It is not a tax bill, and not what anyone writes a check for. Use the dashboard controls to switch between the country and Iowa, compare 2010 with 2021, and hover any number to see where it came from.
Independent research, not a government figure. The CDC has not produced, reviewed or endorsed anything on this page. Every number traces back to published federal data — hover any figure to see which source, and how reliable that particular number is.
What this project provides
Interactive cost explorer
Compare national and Iowa estimates, switch years and methods, and inspect source confidence directly in the dashboard.
Public communication briefs
Download one-page summaries written for clear public use, including careful language about what the estimates do and do not mean.
Transparent methods
Review the model workbook, methods memorandum, source choices, and quality controls behind the estimates.
Iowa-specific findings
See where Iowa differs from the national picture, including alcohol-induced deaths, underage drinking, and cost per resident.