Alcohol-Related Laws and Avoidable Burden and its Costs Due to Motor Vehicle Collisions in Canada

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to estimate the avoidable alcohol-attributable burden and costs of health care, criminality, and the indirect costs of lost productivity due to disability or premature death attributable to motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) in Canada. A policy effectiveness approach was used and the impact of three effective alcohol policy interventions aimed to reduce alcohol-impaired driving was modeled. The results demonstrated that implementation of drunk-driving countermeasures will further reduce the alcohol-attributable burden and costs due to MVCs in Canada. Implications for policy formation and targeted prevention efforts are discussed.