Meth addiction 'cost US $23.4bn in 2005'

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Home » News » Drugs » Meth addiction 'cost US $23.4bn in 2005'

by Change | 4 Feb 2009

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The costs of meth treatment, addiction and abuse cost the US approximately $23.4 billion in 2005.

meth addiction and the associated costs of rehab clinics cost the US $23.4 billion (£16.23 billion) in 2005, a new study reveals.

Figures produced by the RAND Corporation take into account the effects of dependency, premature death and price of meth treatment.

Nancy Nicosia, lead author of the research and an economist at RAND, claims the damage caused by this form of substance abuse is "substantial".

Although the best guess place the cost at this amount, her report reveals an ambiguity due to the methods used and the estimates range from $16.2 billion to $48.3 billion.

Meanwhile, Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project, claims the research was commissioned to reveal the extent of the financial burden meth abuse places on the US.

He says the survey provides the first comprehensive examination in the area conducted with the rigor of a cost-of-illness study.

"It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work," he asserts.

Last year, research published in Synapse suggested vigabatrin was able to reduce the risk of meth relapse by blocking behaviors contributing to this.

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