Losing everything: The true price of addiction

While we typically imagine the impacts of addiction, we think of how it costs the addict his job and credibility, the alcoholic her drivers license and visitation rights to her children. We know that the toll of addiction is often lonely and exhausting. But the cost of addiction can also be measured in the financial strain associated with substance abuse.

Statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse assert that tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug abuse equal a whopping $740 billion annually. These costs are related to crime, lost wages from lack of work productivity, and healthcare expenses.

Closer to home, this financial burden is experienced with even more intensity. Many addicts lose everything and find themselves engaging in criminal activities to maintain their habit—and often giving up their job, home, and families in the process.

While the true costs associated with addiction are contingent upon the type and severity of the addiction, the price of drug and/or alcohol abuse is staggering. According to a recent VICE survey, the average cocaine addict spends between $450 to $1,200 per day, crack addiction often soars to $225 per day, alcoholics spend as much as $50 per day, heroin addicts spend as much as $375 per day, and prescription opiates cost around $75 per day (at $3 to $4 per pill) for the average abuser.

The reality of addiction is that it costs a daily fortune. In addition to the daily price of these habits, Forbes recently determined that drug addiction can easily cost at least half of one’s annual income at the poverty level.

More than just causing the loss of loved ones, career opportunities, and a healthy body, addiction has some critical effects on the wallet. If you or someone you love is battling addiction, resources are available to you to turn things around! Many treatment facilities even offer financial counseling that works with clients and families to get them back on their feet in the wake of catastrophic substance abuse costs.

There is hope, and there is help. For more information about overcoming addiction, take the first step by contacting MedPlex today.