One way to cut health care costs would be to reduce the number of impaired driver’s through alcohol prevention and education and alcohol treatment.

If slightly impaired drivers make the bill go up by 4500 dollars, then think what the alcoholics are costing us.

Anyone who arrives at the emergency room drunk or “slightly impaired” should be ordered to report immediately to classes or rehab.

“The social and economic costs of drunk driving are well documented, but a new study from Rhode Island Hospital finds that even minimally impaired drivers incur higher-than-average costs when they land in hospital emergency rooms, Science Daily reported Oct. 7.

Researcher Michael Lee, M.D., of the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital and colleagues found that drivers with any detectable alcohol in their system incurred $4,538 more in treatment costs and stayed in the emergency room an average of 3.3 hours longer than patients who did not have alcohol in their system. “The magnitudes are striking for this minimally injured population,” said Lee. “This represents a burden of alcohol-impaired driving that was underreported in the past.”"

http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2009/drinkers-incur-more-costs.html