There are many consequences that can and will arise due to drug or alcohol addiction. Most people think of the common types that can include: ill health, missing work and possibly getting fired. Drug addiction can include anything from being a regular smoker of cigarettes to being a heroin addict. This article will therefore focus on the financial costs of drug and alcohol abuse.
Cigarettes: Simple Yet Expensive
Tobacco and nicotine addiction is a huge problem for many people all over the world. Governments receive literally billions of dollars in the taxes that they put on cigarettes. According to lung.org, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $5.50. If you live in a place like New York City, the cost can be up to $10.00 or even more. A heavy smoker will smoke more than twenty per day making the weekly cost in the USA over $70.00 a week.
Drugabuse.gov reports on the general breakdown of national spending when it comes to illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco products in the United States.
$181 billion is going into the illegal drugs market;
$185 billion, slightly more than the illegal drugs market, is spent on alcohol every year in the United States;
$193 billion is spent on tobacco products every year. This makes smoking the biggest cost for people in the United States.
The grand total of money spent on illegal drugs, cigarettes and alcohol can be calculated as being roughly $559 billion per year. The use of illicit drugs has a considerable effect on productivity and health care. This will further heighten the costs.
For extreme drug addicts, the personal costs can end up getting a person into debt. A lot of the time an individual will end up owing a drug dealer and this can lead to further crimes in order for that person to feed their habit. Personal costs are high even for those who do not indulge in illegal drugs. Alcoholism can end up costing money, time and productivity. Individuals are often given a choice of being rehabilitated or fired from their jobs. Even rehabilitation centers and drug treatment programs are going to cost a considerable amount of money. This is a choice that the individual themselves has to make. Further costs can be added if the individual in question experiences a relapse. A lot of the time, further costs will incur throughout the patient’s life due to these relapses.