Cost to society

Market prices of energy often diverge from the true cost to society of consuming that energy. Two of the most common reasons for that divergence are external costs and subsidies, both of which make consumers think that energy is less expensive to society than it really is, and hence lead to more consumption of energy than would be economically optimal. 

Further detailed analyses of the ECA data have been extrapolated to USA national costs (Rice and Miller, 1998). It was calculated that the economic costs of mental disorders in 1990 in the USA totalled US 147.8 billion. Anxiety disorders were the most cosdy, amounting to 46.6 billion, just under a third of the total. Direct costs spent on mental health care totalled 67 billion, of which anxiety disorders accounted for only 11 billion (16.5%). Drug costs were 2191 million, of which anxiety disorders accounted for 1167 million—over half Morbidity costs—the value of goods and services not produced because of mental disorders — amounted to 63.1 billion, with anxiety disorders accounting for 34.2 billion, 54.2% of the total. This reflects the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in the community and the high associated rate of lost productivity. In contrast, patients with affective disorders appeared better able to function (Rice and Miller, 1995). In summary, anxiety disorders are common, disruptive and costly to society drug treatment is a substantial element of treatment costs (11%) compared with, say, schizophrenia (2.2%). 

Violence has also expanded into the public schools to a degree never before observed. Metropolitan areas are seeing almost daily reports of students bringing knives and guns into the schools. In fact, a recent survey showed that 11% of teachers and 23% of students nationwide have been victims of violence in school.219 In addition to the suffering and loss of life, the monetary cost to society of every murder is calculated at 2.4 million.220... 

This subject is more complicated than it at first seems. This requirement may be defined as the lowest cost to society per unit of high quality agricultural product over several years. By requiring a period of several years, we take into account the possibility that the chemical may affect the potential productivity or quality through a sustained effect on the host plant or its environment. It must be calculated on the basis of the... 

The balancing process described above does not require a formal benefit-cost analysis under which a monetary value is assigned to the risks associated with a substance and to the cost to society of proposed regulatory action on the availability of such benefits. Because a monetary value often cannot be assigned to a benefit or cost, such an analysis would not be very useful. 

Given the serious health effects from cigarette smoking, primarily maintained by the addictive properties of nicotine, the best advice is not to start. Despite the obvious health problems and cost to society, large numbers of young people start smoking each year. 

McGuire s analysis is static. Thus, it does not allow for the possibility that paying a higher price for a vaccine may accelerate product development. If paying a higher price would accelerate innovation and there are important opportunity costs to society from waiting for an effective vaccine, the price should be higher than it otherwise would be. 

Lipton RB, Stewart WE, Von Korff M. The burden of migraine. A review of cost to society. Pharmacoeco-nomics 1994 6 215-21. 

Because there is no risk-free world and resources are limited, society must set priorities based on cost-effectiveness in order to save the most lives.56 The EPA projected in 1991 that the cost to society of U.S. environmental regulations in 1997 would be about US 140 billion per year (about 2.6 percent of gross national prod-... 

Insomnia can have a serious impact on a person s quality of life. Acute insomnia can lead to daytime sleepiness and reduced ability to concentrate, remember things, use logical reasoning, and even impair your ability to drive a car. Chronic insomnia can have major health consequences, such as an increased susceptibility to depression and some forms of heart disease and a reduced ability to fight off colds or infections. There is also a tremendous cost to society caused by insomnia—billions of dollars are spent each year on treatment, healthcare services, and hospital costs. An equal cost can be attributed to lost productivity at work and property and personal damage from accidents caused by sleepy insomniacs. 

Tobacco use has the highest cost to society of any substance of abuse, with the possible exception of alcohol. The American Lung Association estimated in the year 2000 that direct medical costs of tobacco-caused illness were approximately 50 billion. However, this cost is well below the total medical costs to society because... 

DEA Demand Reduction, Street Smart Prevention. Costs to Society. Available online. URL http //www.justthinktwice.com/costs/. Downloaded February 27, 2006. 

Miles, S., Fordham, R., Mills, C., Valovirta, E., and Mugford, M. (2005). A framework for measuring costs to society of IgE-mediated food allergy. Allergy 60,996-1003. 

The cost to society and the consumer of the European Union price subsidy is huge ... 

Economic costs for adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes are noteworthy and expected to grow. Annual costs for infertility treatment in the United States exceed one billion dollars (U.S. Congress 1988). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the cost to society for developmental defects is massive (i.e., the lifetime costs for children bom annually with 17 of the most common birth defects and cerebral palsy is over 8 billion (CDC 1995)). However, these abnormalities affect only 22% of children with birth defects, and the cost estimate does not consider costs associated with many other developmental disorders. A recent study estimated the total lifetime costs for persons bom in 1996 with mental retardation, autism, or cerebral palsy to be 47 billion, 4.9 billion, and 12 billion, respectively (Honeycutt et al. 1999). 

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