Underage drinking cost Nassau County $15.3 million in 2007, according to a study done for the Florida Department of Children & Families.
The figure includes the estimated economic impact of alcohol-related crime, traffic crashes, health care costs and lost productivity among drinkers under the age of 21.
Violent crime related to underage alcohol use was responsible for 49.5% of the cost to Nassau taxpayers, or $7,571,000. Motor vehicle crashes by teens – including medical and emergency services, property damage and other related costs – was next, at an annual local cost of $4,577,000.
“In addition to taking its toll on young lives, underage drinking has a significant economic impact on our entire community,” said Susan Woodford, program director of NACDAC, the Nassau Alcohol, Crime and Drug Abatement Coalition.
The Coalition coordinates countywide efforts to reduce youth substance abuse through community and school-based programs, special events, marketing and extensive collaboration with schools, law enforcement, social service agencies and parents.
Statewide, underage drinking cost Floridians roughly $3 billion in 2007, according to the recently-released Economic Costs of Underage Drinking in Florida by the State Epidemiology Workgroup (SEW). The study compares the impact and cost of underage drinking on a county-by-county basis, with Florida’s Central and Suncoast regions generating the largest share of total costs.
“The numbers show that we must continue our efforts to offer young people prevention and intervention programs that help them avoid using alcohol and other illegal drugs,” Woodford said.
Reaching young teens is especially important, because high school students who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent as adults. On the other hand, people who avoid using alcohol and other drugs before the age of 21 are unlikely to become dependent later. A growing body of research also indicates that:
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