The Need for Policy Alternatives to Address Alcohol and Other Drug Problems: Developing a Behavioral Risk Insurance Model

Abstract

Current approaches to funding addictions are critiqued as being fundamentally flawed and inadequate, in spite of the fact that disproportionate amounts of revenues come from the most vulnerable users of alcohol and other drugs. A new approach is proposed, constructing alcohol and other drug use as risky behavior for which users could be insured based on the amount they consume. By adding 5 cents to the cost of every standard drink consumed, the current investment in Ontario, which is spent almost exclusively on treatment services, would be doubled, allowing for funding to be extended to prevention and research initiatives. Ontario's problem gambling strategy, where a percentage of gambling revenues is used to fund treatment, prevention and research into gambling problems, illustrates the potential of such an approach. The behavioral risk insurance model offers a novel way of addressing alcohol and other problems, and could be extended to a wide range of behaviors that carry the risk of harm because of their addictive potential.