Drug abuse causes about 40 million serious injuries and illnesses in America each year, according to MedlinePlus. Drug abuse can be devastating to family life, economics, physical health and productivity. A great deal of federal and state money is dedicated to treating those addicted to illegal drugs each year. Drug abuse is a serious public health issue with significant effects on communities.
Economic Impact
Drug abuse can cause many different harmful economic situations, both for individuals who become addicted, and to society as a whole. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, illegal drug abuse costs the American public at least $160 billion every year. Some of this cost is related to higher health care expenses for everyone. Drug abuse is damaging physically and psychologically and treating the effects directly raises health insurance premiums for all. Social problems related to drug abuse, such as crime and the cost of an over-extended criminal justice system all exact a high price financially.
Lost Productivity
Drug abuse costs American businesses and individuals potentially millions of dollars every year through lost productivity. Individuals who become addicted to drugs are unable to function properly in society and may be unable to keep jobs in many instances. Businesses lose productivity when people are not functioning at top capacity, show up late for work, or do not stick with a job for very long. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, or ONDCP, drug abuse erodes human potential. It finds that young adults and children who are exposed to drug abuse at an early age are more likely to drop out of school and engage in antisocial behavior. These individuals are unable to contribute appropriately to society. Homelessness and drug abuse has a strong correlation as well. A California study found that at least 40 percent of homeless people abuse drugs and alcohol, which may contribute to their circumstances, according to ONDCP.
Health
One of the highest costs of illegal drug abuse is the cost of human lives lost. The ONDCP also reports that there are about 52,000 drug related deaths each year. Some of these deaths are due to direct drug overdose, but many more are caused by drug abuse related diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Other health issues related to drug abuse include automobile accidents caused by drug impaired drivers and physical violence perpetrated by drug addicts in an attempt to secure money or drugs.
