In contrast, all forms of drinking among young adults have remained steady with a significant decline in the 30-day alcohol use, having been drunk, and binge drinking, dropping by 3.5, 5.0, and 3.8 percentage points respectively (Johnston et al., 2022). The decline suggests that the pandemic has had an effect in terms of decreased social time.
Self-Assessment Quiz Question #2 Jaquan comes from a home where both parents either use drugs or alcohol regularly. Given the statistics, he will likely experience all of the following except: a. Sex trafficking. b. An infectious disease. c. Slightly higher GPA than peers. d. Becoming a substance user.
ECONOMIC COSTS
According to the last available estimate, the economic cost of drug abuse in the United States was $1.45 trillion in economic loss and societal harm annually (Recovery Centers of America [RCA], 2017). This includes $578 billion in economic loss and $874 billion in social harm through adjustments of quality of life and premature loss of life (RCA, 2017). The value represents the use of resources to address health and crime consequences and the loss of potential productivity from disability, premature death, and withdrawal from the legitimate workforce. According to RCA (2017), 60% of the costs tied to illicit drug use are directly related to intangible costs of loss of quality of life; if everyone who needed treatment would receive treatment, there could be a $142 billion economic gain to society because of recuperation of direct, indirect, and intangible costs associated with untreated substance abusers. The challenge with the economic impact is that there is a paucity of studies available to determine the current economic impact, particularly as there has been a rapid change in the criminal justice system toward nonviolent drug offenses over the last decade (RCA, 2017).
In addition, according to Carpenter, McClellan, and Rees (2017), there is a direct inverse relationship between unemployment rates within a state and substance use. For each percentage point increase in the unemployment rate within the state, there is an estimated 6% increase in the likelihood of having a disorder involving analgesics and an 11% increase in the likelihood of having a disorder involving hallucinogens (Carpenter et al., 2017). Specifically, the researchers’ study identified that white men between the ages of 18 and 64 and who are less educated are at the most significant risk of developing or having an analgesic or hallucinogenic disorder. The study supports the postulate that economic conditions play a strong role in substance use disorders. The financial toll of addiction focuses primarily on poverty. Individuals who abuse substances often do so with the heavy price tag of poverty for both themselves and their future generations (American Addiction Centers, 2020; RCA, 2017). Addictions place a toll on the economics of a family and can lead to unpaid debts, missed payments, late fees, and property foreclosures (American Addiction Centers, 2020).
ADDICTION AND TREATMENT NEED
In 2019, 165.4 million persons in the United States (or stated another way, 60.1% of the population) age 12 and older used some form of tobacco, alcohol, kratom (a plant that has opioid and stimulant properties), or other illicit drug (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2020). Among these 165.4 million users, the percentage with a substance use disorder remained stable at 20.4 million (SAMHSA, 2020). Moreover, of these, 4.5 million received substance use treatment in some form in the past year; while 2.6 million people received treatment at a specialty facility in the past year (SAMHSA, 2020). The cost of drug abuse treatment saves not only lives but also billions of dollars. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on
treatment, $4 in health care costs is saved and $7 is saved in law enforcement costs (American Addiction Centers, 2020). Self-Assessment Quiz Question #3 There is a $1.45 trillion economic price tag to drug addiction yearly; of this percentage, which of the following percentages reflects the intangible loss of quality of life?
a. 60%. b. 40%. c. 20%. d. 5%.
ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS
According to the latest data available, in 2014 there were 177.7 per 100,000 population drug-related emergency department ED visits nationwide compared to 89.1 per 100,000 population in 2005, representing a 99.4% increase (Jackson et al., 2020). Of these, heroin-related ED visits peaked at 266.1 for every 100,000 people in the 21-to-24-year-old age group. Methamphetamine-related ED visits demonstrated a 61% increase overall from 2009 to 2011. Marijuana-related ED visits demonstrated a 61% increase in the male 15-to-17-year-old age group from 2005 to 2011 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). People suffering from a drug addiction can also suffer from several serious health issues. These issues can include severe dental problems, overdose, and death. Some inhalant drugs can also damage and destroy the nerve cells causing neurological damage. Drug use can also increase the risk of infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C (NIDA, 2020).
In addition to the health effects of heroin, methamphetamines, and marijuana, the worsening prescription and synthetic opioid epidemic remains in the light. In a report by Mattson et al. (2021), from 2013 to 2019, the age-adjusted rates of death involving psychostimulants increased 317% and those involving synthetic opioids increased 1,040%. Overdose deaths involved opioids 70.6% of the time with 51.5% involving synthetic opioids and 22.9% involving psychostimulants. Synthetic opioid overdose deaths were highest in the Northeast at 71.0% and lowest in the West at 26.4%. In nine states, greater than 70% of overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids, with the highest percentage in New Hampshire (84.3%) (Mattson et al., 2021). The West experienced the largest opioid involved death rate during 2018-2019 at 67.9%; while the Northeast experienced the largest relative psychostimulant-involved death rate at 43.8% (Mattson et al., 2021). In total, in 2019, there were 70,630 drug overdose deaths in the United States with a 56.5% increase since 2013 with meaningful increases observed for involvement of cocaine, heroin, and psychostimulants. The West and Midwest had the greatest increase of psychostimulant-involved overdose deaths with Hawaii seeing 70.2% and Oklahoma experiencing 50.7% (Mattson et al., 2021).
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Book Code: RPTTX2024
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