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National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2013)
Addiction can be something that while we know it exists, it's also a problem that is so big that it can be really hard for us to quantify or even classify. It can also be hard to imagine just how much an addiction is costing us over time, not just in missed work days, or lack of productivity, but simply the over all cost that begins to add up over time.
The images displayed below are a representation of a percentage of the US and Texas population that have used or abused prescription drugs from 2008 to 2013.
The information to create these images was taken from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
From the charts above it's easy to see just what part of our population has used or abused prescription drugs within the time frame of 2008 to 2013. But what exactly does this cost over time? While some individuals are habitual offenders and will end up incarcerated time after time. (Texas Department of Justice, 2016) 83% of incarcerated individuals are on direct supervision for a nonviolent offense. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 2010)
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So for just one moment let's do the math here,
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An average stay in rehab is 90 days.
Costing anywhere from $111 to $222 per day. -
An average jail stay for drug induced charges in the state of Texas is 10 days.
Costing the state and tax payers $55 per day for one inmate bed. -
Average probation supervision is $1.56 per day.
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Community Supervision is $10 per day.
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Over all costs per year?
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Rehab - $10,000 to $20,000
Jail - $20,000
Probation - $600
Community Supervision - $3,650
It's easy to see what's cheaper in the long run, but is it really best?
