Plus vodka, tequila, wine coolers and pretty much everything else that gets you drunk.

An annual study by the Centre of Disease Control has found that excessive drinking wastes a whooping $249 billion each year.

It’s not the drain on hospitals and health funds, or petty damage that has the country hemorrhaging coin, but the impaired productivity and absenteeism caused by the after-effects.

Drinking isn’t new, so why is this an issue now? In 2006, the total cost was $223 billion – $26 billion less than the more recent figures – so things are getting worse, especially when compounded with the economic recession.

Australia fares slightly better.
Research found that in 2013, alcohol-related sick days and low productivity cost the country $3 billion.

Not great, but still better than our American mates.
We wonder if it has anything to do with America’s refusal to embrace noted hangover remedy, vegemite on toast.