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Alcohol Use Costs New Hampshire More Than $1.15B Annually

   NewHampshire copyA new study released by PolEcon Research has found that excessive alcohol consumption costs the state of New Hampshire more than $1.15 billion annually in lost productivity and earnings, increased expenses for healthcare, and public safety. These costs represent 2% of the total personal income of the state, and do not include another $218.6 million lost annually by the almost 300 people who die prematurely as the result of alcohol consumption each year in New Hampshire. The new data comes at a time when the state is considering an increase on its beer tax, a proposal that the beer industry is fighting tooth and nail. The state and local governments’ share of the costs of alcohol consumption is about $251 million annually, a figure that could be offset by an increase in the beer tax.