According to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your hangover might actually be hurting the economy. CDC Researchers calculated that alcohol consumption costs the United States roughly $2 per drink in “reduced productivity, crime, and the cost of treating people for health problems caused by excessive drinking.” The price tag came close to $250 billion total for just one year.

The study highlights a growing problem: binge drinking is on the rise, upping alcohol-associated costs by $26 million just between 2006 and 2010 alone.

The CDC’s findings are alarming—but in economics, it’s rare for anything to be an open and shut case. As commenters in Reddit’s economics community pointed out, the study didn’t take into account how much alcohol sales add to the economy:

According to Market Realist, a website that provides investment research and analytics, the economic impact of alcohol sales in the US is significant:

“The American Beverage Licensees (or ABL) is the national association for bars, taverns, and package stores. In an economic study, ABL estimated that the economic impact of the alcoholic beverage industry in 2014 was more than $245 billion.”

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States put its production value a bit higher back in 2010:

“The U.S. beverage alcohol industry is a major contributor to the economy, responsible for over $400 billion in total U.S. economic activity in 2010, generating nearly $90 billion in wages and over 3.9 million jobs for U.S. workers.”

The New York Times also reported in 2011 that several states and cities also see consumption as a boon to the budget and even considered loosening the laws that regulate alcohol as a way to counter the recession economic contraction:

“Twelve states have raised taxes on alcohol or changed alcohol laws to increase revenue, including Maryland, which in July pushed the sales tax on alcohol to 9 percent, from 6 percent—the first such increase in 38 years and one that is expected to bring in $85 million a year.”

Plus, if history has anything to say on the matter, prohibition had really poor economic outcomes, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs, huge declines in state revenue, and exorbitant costs incurred in enforcement.

Ultimately though, the scientists who conduct research for the CDC’s Alcohol Program probably care more about your health—and the health of communities—than they do about the cash. They are tasked with convincing the public (and governments) that drinking a lot is a bad idea, and there should be policies put in place to encourage people not to. After all, they highlight that 88,000 people (one in ten between the ages of 20 and 64) die after drinking too much, economic costs aside.

If you aren’t willing to give up happy hour in the name of health (or the economy) your best bet might be to avoid binge drinking. Cheers to moderation!