This entry summarizes the research awarded with the SESPAS Award for the best communication in Public Health, awarded within the framework of the XLII Health Economics Conference held in Gerona, from July 5 to 7, 2023.
Alcohol consumption carries important social and health implications, both at the individual level and for society as a whole. Quantifying the economic impact of alcohol consumption is essential for effective policy development and evaluation.
This study estimates the economic impact of alcohol consumption in Catalonia in 2019 from a social perspective. Direct costs, which include health expenses and alcohol-related crimes, are distinguished from indirect costs, which include job and productivity losses. This follows international recommendations to standardize studies of costs related to diseases due to alcohol consumption. To calculate productivity losses due to morbidity and premature death, the human capital approach is used, taking into account future losses with a 3% discount rate.
The study was carried out using information provided by the General Subdirectorate of Addictions, HIV, STIs and Viral Hepatitis (Generalitat of Catalonia), as well as data from the Minimum Database Set (CMBD), the Statistical Institute of Catalonia and data from the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Medicines Management Directorate of the Catalan Health Service. Furthermore, with external methodological support, a rough estimate of justice-related costs associated with alcohol consumption could be made, provided by Mindaugas Štelemėkas Sveikatos, Director of the Lithuanian Health Research Institute.
The preliminary estimate, presented at the XLII AES Conference, suggests a total financial cost associated with alcohol consumption in Catalonia in 2019 of 555.5 million euros. Health and crime costs represent 63.11% of the total, while labor and productivity costs constitute the remaining 36.89%. These findings underline the significant economic burden that alcohol consumption imposes on both the healthcare system and the broader economy in Catalonia, emphasizing the need for interventions targeting alcohol consumption in the community.region.
The study was presented by Elena Torrell, collaborator of the Subdirectorate and main researcher, with the methodological guide and mentoring of Jürgen Rehm, Lidia Colom and Joan Colom. This was Elena’s thesis in the Master in Public Health at the Pompeu Fabra University – Autonomous University of Barcelona.
However, this study is not an isolated report; marks the beginning of a continuous process. It is based on previous efforts made by the same Subdirectorate to estimate the social costs related to the consumption of illicit substances, national and international consultations, review of analyzes and inclusion of local data. This first estimate establishes the bases for the development of a protocol that allows these estimates to be periodically updated in the future. Catalan Observatory of Drugs and Addictionsand so that it can in turn assist development in other autonomous communities and countries.
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