The abuse of alcohol imposes a heavy burden upon our public hospital system. Although a lack of conclusive evidence precludes any accurate estimated of the costs that are incurred, our broad estimates do give some indication of the extent of these costs. Taking into account only those health problems where alcohol is recorded as a causal factor gives an estimated cost of public hospital services of approximately $21 million per year in excess of any costs which might otherwise be expected to arise in the absence of alcohol. Expanding the definition of alcohol-related disorders according to the results of survey data increases the estimated cost to at least $52 million per year and possibly to $115 million or more. These costs are far outweighed by the non-medical costs of excessive drinking such as lost production, crime and a deterioration in the quality of life of alcohol abusers and their families.