Economic Costs of Underage Drinking in Florida
Ioana Popovici
a
María E. Dávalos
b
Kathryn E. McCollister
c
Michael T. French
d, *
a Health Economics Research Group, Sociology Research Center, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Flipse
Bldg, First Floor, Room 105, Coral Gables, Florida, USA, 33146-0719; Telephone: 305-284-8096; Fax: 305-284-5716;
ipopovici@miami.edu.
b Health Economics Research Group, Sociology Research Center, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Flipse
Bldg, First Floor, Room 124, Coral Gables, Florida, USA, 33146-0719; Telephone: 305-284-2776; Fax: 305-284-5716;
mdavalos@miami.edu.
c Health Economics Research Group and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School
of Medicine (R-669), Clinical Research Building, Room 1051, 1120 NW 14th Street, Miami, FL, USA, 33136; Tel: 305-243-
3479; Fax: 305-243-5544; kmccolli@med.miami.edu.
d Health Economics Research Group, Department of Sociology, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and
Department of Economics, University of Miami, 5202 University Drive, Merrick Building, Room 121F, P.O. Box 248162,
Coral Gables, FL, USA, 33124-2030; Telephone: 305-284-6039; Fax: 305-284-5310; mfrench@miami.edu.
June 8, 2009
*Corresponding Author: Michael T. French, Ph.D., Professor of Health Economics, University of Miami, 5202 University
Drive, Merrick Building, Room 121F, P.O. Box 248162, Coral Gables, FL, USA, 33124-2030; Telephone: 305-284-6039; Fax:
305-284-5310; mfrench@miami.edu..
1
Executive Summary
Background. Underage drinking is a persistent public health problem that generates significant costs to society from
alcohol-related consequences such as criminal activity/delinquency, antisocial behavior, academic difficulties, risky sexual
behavior, health problems, unintentional injuries, and traffic crashes. Florida faces a particularly tough challenge in this
regard as Florida youth have higher rates of alcohol use than