Speaking of alcohol and money

A lot of money is spent on alcohol. The alcohol industry also spends a lot of money on alcohol marketing. In addition, the government invests in anti-alcohol measures every year. And then there is also a considerable saving of money if you (temporarily) do not drink alcohol. In other words: alcohol and money. There is a lot to tell about it.

€ Alcohol per household

The average amount spent on alcohol per household per year is approximately €215. But that's an average. Households in which no alcohol is consumed at all are also included.

€ Alcohol marketing in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, €100 million is spent annually on alcohol advertising in the traditional media and -increasingly- in influencer advertising.

€ Measures to reduce alcohol consumption

The Annual Report of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport for 2021 shows that the government has spent € 4.71 million on reducing alcohol consumption. This includes measures such as:

• Researching marketing, outlets and price
• Enforcement of age limit, ban on price promotions and distance selling by NVWA
• Supervision of municipalities on age limit
• Campaigns such as Dranquilo, Seeing to drink, does to drink and IkPas

€ Costs of alcohol use society

If all costs and benefits are calculated against each other, the social costs of alcohol use amount to between 2.3 and 4.2 billion euros annually.

Examples of costs (damage):

• Intentional or unintentional injury to others, for example through violence or a traffic accident
• Health and addiction care, for the treatment of diseases caused by alcohol consumption, such as liver disease, cancer and alcohol addiction
• Failure in a particular social role (partner, colleague, employee, friend)

Examples benefit

• Additional tax revenue and excise duties
• Employment in the hospitality industry
• Produce, import and export alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine and spirits

€ A break saves money

Suppose you drink one bottle of wine a day. One glass before dinner, two glasses with dinner and then two more glasses on the sofa. If you assume that that bottle costs about € 6, that is € 42 per week and therefore € 180 per month.

Do you go to a terrace once a week and spend about thirty euros on drinks and also buy two bottles of wine for home? Then you also have that €42 per week and €180 per month.

On an annual basis you then drink away € 2160 in alcohol. You can buy a lot of nice things or much needed things for that.

Sources: step.nl, trimbos institute