Date of Award
7-2008
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Legacy Department
Economics
Committee Chair/Advisor
Maloney, Michael
Committee Member
Mittelstaedt , John
Committee Member
Mroz , Thomas
Abstract
Alcoholic beverages are consumed all over the world and have been consumed for centuries. The excessive consumption of alcohol many times results in negative consequences. These consequences not only can affect the individual consuming the alcohol, but also others around them. This research looks at some of the negative medical consequences that can develop from an individual consuming alcohol excessively. The cost of an average hospital stay for an individual with liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer was analyzed along with the opportunity cost for the wages that would be lost if an individual could not attend his place of employment due to his hospital stay. The results show that on average the cost of one hospital stay in 2005 for one of the tested health related conditions can be between 18%-30% of the average annual income if a person has health insurance. If an individual is without health insurance the cost of a hospital stay can be between 92%-140%. These results show that developing any alcohol related health conditions can be extremely costly for an individual. Next the research conducted three OLS log-linear regressions to determine which factors have the most effect in reducing alcohol consumption. It was determined that marital status, economic factors such as taxes and income, and alcohol control laws that regulate the availability of alcohol were the most successful and consistent in affecting the demand and consumption of alcohol. This would allow us to infer that the most effective means in reducing the consumption of alcohol would be the efficient use of economic variables and alcohol control laws. Reducing alcohol consumption could also indirectly reduce the negative associated consequences.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Zapora, "The Negative Consequences of Alcohol Consumption and the Analysis of Variables that Can Affect or Reduce Alcohol Consumption" (2008). All Theses. 444.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/444