Alcohol and poverty
The economic consequences of expenditures on alcohol are significant especially in high
poverty areas. Besides money spent on alcohol, a heavy drinker also suffers other adverse
economic effects. These include lowered wages (because of missed work and decreased
efficiency on the job), lost employment opportunities, increased medical expenses for illness
and accidents, legal cost of drink-related offences, and decreased eligibility of loans. A recent
study conducted in 11 districts in Sri Lanka examining the link between alcohol and poverty
found that 7% of men said that their alcohol expenditure was greater than their income.
Though a relatively small percentage, this is still a worrying statistic for the families
concerned and for those interested in helping the worst-off families (Baklien & Samarasinghe,
2001).