Not every user who turns to treatment can afford the cost. Medical treatment for drug addiction is often prolonged and most of all, expensive. According to a new report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the average cost for treatment of alcohol or drug abuse in outpatient facilities was an estimated $1,433 per course of treatment in 2002. The social and environmental conditions surrounding most drug users make cost the main entry barrier towards drug treatment. However, since it helps users to recover and thus prevent crimes, children foster care, prison maintenance that incurs a much higher expenditure, it is necessary for treatment to be accessible and available to users in the lower society ranks. Public drug treatment is thus heavily subsidized by the government, and this expenditure makes up a huge proportion of national spending every year. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, in 1992, the total estimated spending for health care services in the U.S was $9.9 billion for drug problems and its medical consequences. The medical consequences mean diseases or chronic illnesses caused by prolonged drug intake such as HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C.
Acknowledgements
Gans, Steven. "The Costs of Alcohol and Drug Treatment." Alcoholism. 31 Dec. 2007. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 9 Feb. 2008 <http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pro/a/blsam040527.htm>.
