Drug Addicted America: Inside the Numbers

According to U.S. News and World Report, the yearly annual economic impact from the abuse of prescription drugs, illicit drugs or alcohol is $442 billion. Think about that number for a second. That is an economy-wrecking number. That sort of number means that this drug addiction is everywhere in America. "Alcohol and drug abuse and related disorders are major public health challenges that are taking an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society," the authors of the Surgeon General's 2017 report wrote. "Neighborhoods and communities as a whole are also suffering as a result of alcohol- and drug-related crime and violence, abuse and neglect of children, and the increased costs of health care associated with substance abuse." While this may not be news to anyone paying attention, the total monetary cost of abuse truly is.

We are witnessing a war on children and families. When parents and adults abuse drugs and alcohol or look the other way as family members do so, it is nearly always the children who suffer the brunt of the impacts all around them. Crime and violence, abuse and neglect – these are downstream effects that land most harshly and directly on children in families and communities who have no voice and can't adequately defend themselves from the onslaught and the economic and emotional toll it brings through the door.

Most Americans know someone with drug or alcohol addiction, and many know someone who has lost or nearly lost a family member because of substance abuse. It is your town and your neighborhood! While FDA has done a competent job of putting prescription drugs at farther reach than ever before, our society has yet to clamped down on the illicit drugs plaquing communities today. This is simple economics of supply and demand, and America needs to deal with both at the same time.

Reducing demand means treatment options for this epidemic need to be expanded and clarified. Only 10 percent of people with drug abuse receive specialized treatment right now. Roughly 40 percent of people who have a substance abuse problem also have mental health issues, yet fewer than half receive treatment for either disorder, the Surgeon General's report found.

That's outrageous and must change!

Safe Haven Recovery is a boutique Florida Drug & Alcohol Treatment Center located in Miami, FL. We specialize in Suboxone Maintenance & Detox, along with, Couples Addiction Treatment. Call us today at 866-447-4650.

About the Author

Matthew Koenig is a freelance writer and principal of Last Call Marketing which devotes their efforts to Digital Marketing, SEO and Social Engagement. Concentrated in addiction recovery, Mr. Koenig is based out of South Florida. His sober date is June 10, 2013.

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