Lady with a hangover
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The price you pay for getting drunk is usually a hangover the next day, right?

That's providing you don't get pulled over for doing something stupid like trying to drive while under the influence. Then, you'll end up paying a much higher price.

Your bank account will be lighter for years to come and God forbid you could end up paying the ultimate price, the loss of your life, or the life of someone else.

There's a new study out that claims getting drunk also costs our economy $220 billion a year!  Or about $1.90 for every drink someone has.

You should also know that every drink you have this week will end up costing the company you work for $1.37. That's because you're doing less work when you're hung over the next day.

To help you better understand the effect that getting drunk has on our economy, here's a cost breakdown:

  • 72% of the cost is from the decreased productivity of people who show up for work with a hangover. That's about $158 billion, or $1.37 per drink.
  • 11% or 21 cents a drink goes to healthcare costs for alcohol-related health problems.
  • 9% or 17 cents a drink is from alcohol-related crime.
  • And 6% or 11 cents a drink is from alcohol related accidents due to drunk-driving.

And of course we can't forget to mention all the alcohol-related work absences. Those end up being another big issue for employers. Because of poor health, hangovers, or other alcohol related problems, alcohol abusers are more likely to miss work than many of their co-workers.

If you need even more reasons why you shouldn't drink to excess, don't forget about the $10,000 ride home! That's the cost of a typical DUI these days.

Police giving a sobriety test
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Getting a DUI will end up running you about $10,000 by the time you pay bail, fines, fees and insurance, even if you didn't hit anything or hurt anybody. It can end up being a financial wrecking ball for many people.

What’s the simple solution? If you plan on drinking, please remember to drink responsibly and in moderation.

Oh yeah, you might try limiting your drinking to Friday night or Saturday. Give yourself an extra 24 hours to crawl out from underneath that hangover before you have to go back to work. I’m sure your boss would appreciate it.

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