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By Dennis McNamara
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA) have recently estimated the cost of alcohol and drug abuse to be between 250-275 billion dollars annually in the United States.
The lower figure is based on 1992 statistics and the upper figure reflects adjustments for inflation and population growth. This amounts to approximately $1,000.00 for every man, woman and child in America.
For every dollar of expense, alcohol abuse and alcoholism account for about 60 cents with the remainder going for other drug related costs.
Some of the costs involved are:
Alcohol related:
Lost productivity due to illness--45.7 cents
Healthcare costs -- 12.7 cents
Alcohol related motor vehicle crashes-- 9.2 cents
Alcohol related crime-- 8.6 cents
Drug Related:
Lost productivity due to illness-- 14.5 cents
Healthcare costs-- 10.2 cents
Illicit drug related crimes; criminal justice, property damage, and federal drug control--18.4 cents
Obviously, this is an issue that costs each of us a considerable amount of money and one that continuously needs to be addressed. If you would like to get more information about what your company can do, please give us a call (541) 608-4238.
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