New Report Highlights Human and Economic Toll of Alcohol Abuse in New Mexico
November 24, 2009
(Las Cruces) – A new report from the New Mexico Department of Health that examines the human and economic effect of alcohol abuse in New Mexico shows that thousands of lives and billions of dollars are lost each year as a result of alcohol abuse.
According to the report, almost 1,000 deaths in New Mexico are attributed to alcohol abuse each year and the economic costs associated with alcohol abuse in 2006 amounted to an estimated $2.5 billion.
“The economic impact of alcohol abuse in New Mexico is staggering, but what is of greater concern to us is the loss of lives,” said Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil, MD. “These are lives that can be saved by focusing more attention on curbing alcohol abuse in our state. New Mexico has made significant progress in reducing the number of DWI’s, but we recognize there is much more work to be done to reduce the negative impact alcohol abuse has on our communities.”
Jim Roeber, an epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health who wrote the report, said when people think of alcohol-related deaths they tend to think of car accidents as the main risk.
“Alcohol abuse is a major contributing factor in many motor vehicle fatalities, but that is not the only place where it can cause injuries and death,” Roeber said. “The report shows that alcohol abuse can play a role in fires, falls, drug overdose, and drowning and can contribute to violence such as child abuse, homicide, suicide and personal assault. Furthermore, alcohol-related chronic disease is a major public health problem. Alcohol-related chronic liver disease is the leading cause of alcohol-related death in New Mexico.”
Data from the report highlights several areas where alcohol abuse has an impact on New Mexico, including the following:
13 percent of New Mexico adults reported binge drinking in the past 30 days. 4.4 percent of New Mexico adults reported being heavy drinkers in the past 30 days. Men were significantly more likely than women to report binge drinking, heavy drinking, and driving after drinking. 38.4 percent of 9th graders and 49 percent of 12th graders reported consuming alcoholic beverages on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. 21.3 percent of 9th graders and 31.4 percent of 12th graders reported binge drinking in the past 30 days.
“Alcohol abuse has a very negative impact on the health and safety of all New Mexicans and we must be diligent in our efforts to find solutions to these problems,” Dr. Vigil said. “Parents and families need to be proactive in helping their children and loved ones get treatment if they are abusing alcohol. The silver lining is that we can change these patterns and make New Mexico a healthier state.”
To read the full report, go online to http://nmhealth.org/ERD/HealthData/SubstanceAbuse/ER%20Alcohol%20related%20costs%20112309.pdf.
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