I Drug Abuse in the United States Top

Related:

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Drug Classifications

BBC - Crime Drugs - Classifications

NCHS - FASTATS - Illegal Drug Use

Drug Facts - ONDCP

1.1 Overview

The economic cost to society from alcohol and drug abuse was an estimated $246 billion in 2002. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost an estimated $148 billion, while drug abuse and dependence cost an estimated $98 billion. When adjusted for inflation and population growth, the alcohol estimates for 2002 are very similar to cost estimates produced over the past 20 years, and the drug estimates demonstrate a steady and strong pattern of increase. The current estimates are significantly greater than the most recent detailed estimates developed for 1985 for alcohol and for drugs (Rice et al. 1990) - 42 percent higher for alcohol and 50 percent greater for drugs over and above increases due to population growth and inflation. Between 1985 and 2002, inflation accounted for about 37.5 percent and population growth for 7.1 percent increases.

1.2 Health Care Expenditures

In 2002, total estimated spending for health care services was $18.8 billion for alcohol problems and the medical consequences of alcohol consumption and $9.9 billion for drug problems. Specialized services for the treatment of alcohol and drug problems cost $5.6 billion and $4.4 billion, respectively. This included specialized detoxification and rehabilitation services as well as prevention, training, and research expenditures. Costs of treatment for health problems attributed to alcohol and drug abuse (e.g., cirrhosis, HIV infection, and trauma) were $13.2 billion and $5.5 billion, respectively.

1.3 Premature Death

More than 132,000 persons died as a consequence of alcohol and drug problems in 1992. Of these deaths, 107,400 were related to alcohol abuse and 25,500 were related to drug abuse. The estimated costs were $31.3 billion and $14.6 billion, respectively, representing the present discounted value of expected lifetime earnings (discounted at 6 percent). The average loss per death was almost $350,000 (however, the average loss per drug-related death was almost twice as high as for alcohol due to different average ages of decedents). The costs using a 3-percent discount rate are $45.7 billion and $21.3 billion, respectively. Many of the alcohol- and drug-related deaths were among persons between ages 20 and 40, because the major causes of death, such as motor vehicle crashes, other causes of traumatic death, and HIV infection, are concentrated among younger age cohorts. However, alcohol is also involved in numerous premature deaths among the older population because of long-term, excessive alcohol consumption. As far as premature deaths are concerned, this study found only modest differences from the study by Rice et al. (1990), except that the number of deaths associated with drug-related HIV increased dramatically from 1985 to 1992 - a substantial increase in the cost of drug abuse.

1.4 Impaired Productivity

An estimated $82 billion in lost potential productivity was attributed to alcohol and drug abuse in 2002 ($67.7 billion and $14.2 billion, respectively). This accrued in the form of work not performed - including household tasks - and was measured in terms of lost earnings and household productivity. These costs were primarily borne by the drug or alcohol abusers and by those with whom they lived. About $1 billion was for victims of fetal alcohol syndrome who had survived to adulthood and experienced mental impairment. This study has not attempted to estimate the burden of drug and alcohol problems on work sites or employers, nor should the estimates in this study be interpreted in this manner.

1.5 Motor Vehicle Crashes

Total costs attributed to alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes were estimated to be $24.7 billion. This included $11.1 billion from premature mortality (counted/included above) and $13.6 billion from automobile and other property destruction. The costs for health care treatment for injuries are included under health care expenditures, previously discussed.

1.6 Crime

Costs of crime attributed to illicit drug abuse were estimated at $59.1 billion, and costs of crime attributed to alcohol abuse were estimated at $19.7 billion. These costs include reduced earnings due to incarceration, crime careers, and criminal victimization; and the costs of criminal justice and drug interdiction. Costs of crime are itemized in table 1.2 and are an elaboration and reorganization of the costs in table 1.1. In addition to drug-defined and alcohol-defined crimes, such as drug trafficking and driving under the influence, the costs of crime also include the following:

• Drug abuse is estimated to have contributed to 25 to 30 percent of income-generating crime, and

• Alcohol abuse is estimated to have contributed to 25 to 30 percent of violent crime.

Somewhat different rates apply for different types of crimes and alcohol and drugs. In contrast, about 5 percent or less of income-generating crime is attributed to alcohol, and 5 percent or less of violent crime is attributed to drug abuse.

Expenditures within the criminal justice system totaled $23.6 billion ($17.4 for drugs and $6.2 billion for alcohol). Costs to victims were $11.8 billion ($3.8 billion for drugs and $8.0 billion for alcohol). Most of the estimated victim losses were for lost lifetime earnings of homicide victims, but this estimate also includes medical expenses, lost work, and damaged/destroyed property. In addition, victims lost $2.6 billion in stolen cash and property. A substantial loss of potential productivity to the economy was associated with incarceration of inmates for drug- and alcohol-related offenses (460,000 and 140,000 person years at a loss of potential productivity of $17.9 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively). Further losses of $19.2 billion are attributed to a full-time equivalent of 600,000 drug abusers and traffickers dropping out of the legitimate economy in order to earn income from predatory and/or consensual crime (e.g., drug trafficking, gambling, and prostitution).

Total Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Specific and Related Crime, 2002
(millions of dollars)

Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the United States, 2002
(millions of dollars)

1.7 Social Welfare

This study estimates that 3.3 percent of social welfare beneficiaries in 1992 received benefits because of an administrative determination of drug- or alcohol-related impairment. While subsequent welfare reform has largely terminated alcohol or drug dependence as a primary cause for benefit eligibility, these impairments resulted in transfers of $10.4 billion in 2002, with administrative and other direct service expenses of $683 million for those with alcohol problems and $337 million for those with drug problems. Although administrative and direct service costs are included in the costs to society, the value of income transfers is not included because they simply shift or transfer resources from one part of society (a loss to taxpayers) to another part of society (a gain to transfer payment recipients). Several studies have found that social welfare beneficiaries have only modestly higher rates of alcohol and drug problems than the general population; however, this does not appear to have been their primary reason for eligibility. While as many as 30 to 40 percent of beneficiaries do use illicit drugs and/or abuse alcohol, it would appear that for most of these individuals their use of alcohol and psychoactive drugs is not of such a severity as to have impaired their ability to gain employment.

1.8 Who Bears the Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse?

Much of the economic burden of alcohol and drug problems falls on the population that does not abuse alcohol and drugs. For alcohol problems, governments bore costs of $57.2 billion (38.6 percent) in 2002, compared with $15.1 billion for private insurance, $9 billion for victims, and $66.8 billion for alcohol abusers and members of their households. For drug abuse, governments bore about $45.1 billion (46.2 percent) of the total of $97.7 billion; private insurance, $3.1 billion; victims, about $6.5 billion; and abusers and members of their households, $42.9 billion.

Costs are imposed on society (non-abusers) in a variety of ways. These include drug- and alcohol-related crimes and trauma (e.g., motor vehicle crashes); government services, such as criminal justice and highway safety; and various social insurance mechanisms, such as private and public health insurance, life insurance, tax payments, pensions, and social welfare insurance.

The costs primarily born by abusers include (1) lost legitimate earnings (and household productivity) related to impaired functioning in the labor market; (2) lost legitimate earnings related to incarceration; and (3) foregone legitimate earnings when drug abusers pursue income through illegitimate means, including predatory and consensual income-generating crime (e.g., theft, drug trafficking, and prostitution). Even these costs are shifted somewhat. Lost earnings translate into lost tax revenue (a shift to government), and income from theft accrues to the benefit of abusers - a loss for victims. It is more difficult to assess the incidence of burden from the drug economy, where abusers forego legitimate earnings for income from other sources. This is discussed briefly in chapter 7.

Where the Burden of Alcohol and Drug Problems Falls, 2002
(billions of dollars)

1.9 Comparison With Prior Studies

Estimates from this study are generally comparable to those produced by prior major studies on the economic impact of drug and alcohol abuse. Although literally hundreds of differences have occurred from study to study - and that is true in comparing this study with Rice et al. (1990) - it is fair to say that generally similar methodological approaches have been applied in most of the studies discussed below. This is true in terms of the nature of the effects included in the estimates and in terms of how values have been estimated.

Figure 1.1 compares results of the present study with the prior estimates, making adjustments for inflation and population growth during the 17 years that these estimates cover. Detailed comparisons are made with Rice et al. (1990), and more general comparisons with Rufener et al. (1977), Berry et al. (1977), Cruze et al. (1981), and Harwood et al. (1984). The current estimate for alcohol, $148.0 billion, is almost equal to the average of the four previous major studies and more than 40 percent greater than that of Rice et al. (1990). The drug abuse estimate of $97.7 billion is about 50 percent greater than that of Rice et al. (1990). There is a clear trend of increasing cost estimates for drug abuse across these studies when the productivity impact estimate of Harwood et al. (1984) is taken into consideration.

The five major drug abuse studies demonstrate a clear upward trend in cost estimates since 1975. This trend is generally attributable to the increasingly severe impact of drugs. Although some notable methodological differences exist between the first study (Rufener et al. 1977) and all the subsequent studies, there is evidence that most of the increase during the 17-year period is due to real changes in effects of drug abuse. Reasons for increased costs between 1977 and 2002 include emergence of the cocaine and HIV epidemics; an eightfold increase in State and Federal incarcerations for drug offenses (213,000 versus 28,000); and about a threefold increase in crimes that are attributed to drugs, such as burglary (100,000 versus 32,000). The prison census almost tripled between 1977 and 2001 (U.S. Department of Justice 2001g).

The most variable cost component across the five drug studies has been the impact of drug abuse on employment and earnings. Although this study estimates this impact to be 60 percent greater than that estimated by Rice et al. (1990) - $14.2 billion versus $8.7 billion - this is only one of several differences of this same magnitude that have contributed to the growth in costs.

It is estimated that there are 2 million people incarcerated in the United States alone with an average cost of $30,000 per year, per inmate, with an average cost of over $60 billion annually. These costs do not take inconsideration the increase in the cost of law enforcement and the increased costs of the courts. If those additional costs were added in, another 140 billion dollars would have to be added to the $60 billion, bring the total estimated cost to $200 billion annually. 

It is estimated that one of the root causes to crime is drug and alcohol abuse. In 1970 16.3% of the population incarcerated were drug offenders or drug related crimes. Statistics also show that in 1984, 29.5% of the prison population were drug offenders. Statistics as of 1998, 58.9% of the prison population were drug offenders. This is a 300% increase over the last 20 years.

U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced 31.3 million crimes, according to the 2002 Nation Crime Victimization Survey.

• 73% (22.9 million) were property crimes

• 26% ( 8.1 million) were crimes of violence

• 1% were personal thefts

In 2002 for every 1,000 persons age 12 or older, there occurred

• 2 rapes or sexual assaults

• 3 assaults with serious injury

• 4 robberies

• Murders are the least frequent violent victimization--about 6 murder victims per 100,000 persons in 2002.

In surveys of 12 cities in 2002, violent crime victimization rates per 1,000 residents age 12 or older ranged from 60 in Washington, D.C. to 85 in New York, New York. Nationally, the violent crime victimization rate in urban areas was 51 per 1,000 residents.

The percentage of residents in each of the 12 cities who said they were fearful of crime in their neighborhood ranged from 20% in Madison, Wisconsin to 48% in Washington, D. C. and Chicago, Illinois.

IV Re-education and Transitional Housing:   Top

# During the past year requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 19 percent, with 88 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 20 percent, with 88 percent of the cities reporting an increase.

# An average of 30 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 38 percent of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 60 percent of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources; in 56 percent they may also have to turn away other homeless people.

# People remain homeless an average of 6 months in the survey cities. Eighty-two percent of the cities said that the length of time people are homeless increased during the last year.

# Lack of affordable housing leads the list of causes of homelessness identified by the city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include mental illness and the lack of needed services, substance abuse and the lack of needed services, low paying jobs, domestic violence, unemployment, poverty, prison release, downturn in the economy, limited life skills, and change and cuts in public assistance programs.

# Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 41 percent of the homeless population, families with children 41 percent, single women 13 percent and unaccompanied minors five percent. The homeless population is estimated to be 50 percent African-American, 35 percent white, 12 percent Hispanic, two percent Native American and one percent Asian. An average of 23 percent of homeless people in the cities are considered mentally ill; 32 percent are substance abusers; 22 percent are employed; and 10 percent are veterans.

# In 40 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 32 percent of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.

# Requests for assisted housing by low- income families and individuals increased in 88 percent of the cities during the last year. Thirty-one percent of eligible low- income households are currently served by assisted housing programs. City officials estimate that low- income households spend an average of 49 percent of their income on housing.

# Applicants must wait an average of 19 months for public housing in the survey cities. The wait for Section 8 Certificates is 21 months, for Section 8 Vouchers, 23 months. Forty-eight percent of the cities have stopped accepting applications for at least one assisted housing program due to the excessive length of the waiting list.

# Officials in 100 percent of the responding cities expect requests for emergency food assistance to increase during 2003. Ninety-six percent expect that requests for emergency food assistance by families with children will increase during 2003. Officials in 100 percent of the cities expect that requests for emergency shelter will increase next year. One hundred percent expect that requests by homeless families will increase.

# The city officials are pessimistic about the nation’s weak economy, which they unanimously agree will continue to have a negative impact on the problem of hunger and homelessness. With the economic slowdown, they say more people need help. Some report that homeowners, having lost their jobs, are applying for assistance, and some of these families have become homeless. All agree that the problems of hunger and homelessness are likely to increase during 2003.

Related:

Hunger And Homeless Report 2002.pdf

It is estimated that there are, in any given night, there are from 750,000-1.3 million Americans homeless. Over the course of the year, there are as many as 2.5 million people who experience homelessness for some period of time. These are the people who live on the street, in shelters, and in campgrounds. Millions more live in precarious situations - over crowded with family or friends, housed temporarily in institutions like prisons or mental institutions. or paying too much of their income for rent. Together, all of these individuals make up the pool from which people cycle in and out of homelessness.

Homelessness affects a wide variety of people. Young and old, healthy and sick, men and women, employed and unemployed: all are represented in the homeless population.

The fastest growing group of homeless people consists of families with children. Today, families make up 36% of the people who become homeless. The typical homeless family consists of a young married mother with two or three small children. Many of these young mothers are fleeing domestic violence, and most lack the work skills, access to child care, or access to jobs necessary to support their families. 

An estimated 25% to 40% need programs to help recover from drug and alcohol abuse. Others need support to replace the network of family and friends that many of us take for granted. As many as 30% require treatment for mental illness. There are those who need child care to give them the time to train and apply for a job. Still others need legal assistance to help them escape some sort of domestic violence.

Eighty-eight percent of the survey cities report an increase in requests for emergency shelters during the last year. Three cities – Philadelphia, Phoenix, and St. Paul – report that the number of requests for emergency shelter remained the same during the last year.

Across the survey cities, the average increase was 19 percent. The percentage of increase requests range from 64 percent in St. Louis, 30 percent in Norfolk, 25 percent in Kansas City, 18 percent in Washington, D.C., 10 percent in Los Angeles, and three percent in Boston.

Requests for emergency shelter by homeless families with children increased in 88 percent of the survey cities during the last year. Burlington and Philadelphia said that the number of requests by homeless families remained the same during the last year. St. Paul said that the number of requests declined during the year.

Across the survey cities, the average increase in request for emergency shelter by homeless families with children was 20 percent. The percentage of increased requests ranged from 61 percent in St. Louis, 58 percent in Salt Lake City, 35 percent in Portland, 20 percent in Kansas City,16 percent in Los Angeles, 10 percent in Charlotte and Cleveland, and 5 percent in Trenton.

People remained homeless for an average of 6 months in the survey cities. The average length of time people remained homeless is 10 months in Boston, Charlotte and Trenton, 9 months in Charleston and Denver, 7 months in Chicago and Kansas City, 5 months in Portland, 2 months in Salt Lake City, and one month in St. Paul.

Eighty-two percent of the cities report that the length of time people are homeless increased. It remained the same in Louisville, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Washington, D.C.

Across the survey cities it is estimated that single men comprise 41 percent of the homeless population, families with children 41 percent, single women 13 percent and unaccompanied youth five percent. Seventy-three percent of the homeless families in the survey cities are headed by a single parent.

Survey city officials estimated that 50 percent of the population is African-American, 35 percent is white, 12 percent is Hispanic, two percent is Native American and one percent is Asian.

It is estimated that persons considered mentally ill account for 23 percent of the homeless population in the survey cities; substance abusers account for 32 percent. Twenty-two percent of the homeless in the survey cities are employed in full-or part-time jobs. Ten percent are veterans.

Across the survey cities, the overall number of emergency shelter beds for homeless people is estimated to have increased by 13 percent. The number of emergency beds increased in 30 percent of the survey cities.

Shelter beds for homeless families increased in 29 percent of the survey cities. They remained the same in 63 percent, and declined in eight percent.

The number of transitional housing units increased overall by an average of 13 percent across the survey cities during the last year. Forty-two percent of the cities registered an increase in transitional housing units: Burlington, Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Seattle, St. Paul and Trenton.

The number of transitional housing units specifically for homeless families increased by an average of 11 percent during the last year. Thirty-eight percent of the survey cities registered and increase in the number of transitional housing units specifically for homeless families during the last year: Burlington, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, St. Paul and Trenton.

In 40 percent of the cities, homeless families may have to break up in order to be accommodated in emergency shelters.

Officials in 32 percent of the survey cities report that homeless families may have to leave shelters in which they are staying during the day. The rest of the survey cities homeless families do not have to leave shelters in which they are staying during the day.

Source: http://www.ourdailybreadmissions.org/HungerAndHomelessReport2002.pdf

VI Starvation and Poverty:    Top

Related:

Globally, it is estimated that more than 1 billion people live on $2 dollars a day or less. It is also estimated that more than 10,536 die of starvation per day as of 1999. In 2003 this number has almost doubled to 20,000. This is an alarming trend as the statistics show that there is an increase. Since the time of the original report filed in 1999, there has been nearly a 100% increase in starvation the world over in in 2003.  Some statistics and reporting agencies estimate that he losses are higher. 

The other part of the problem is that food banks in America are running on empty. Recent studies show that after welfare reform many people, as much as 18%, still face hunger and inadequate access to food in America, and the situation in the world is far worse. Even though many of these families move off assistance and into the workforce, low wages, high rents, and unstable employment leave many of them food insecure, (Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture is limited or uncertain affordability of nutritionally adequate foods, USDA, 1997). With welfare reform in our wake, and welfare-to-work in full swing, hundreds of food banks and food rescue programs have fast become ground zero in our nation's struggle to feed and empower millions of and hungry people who live among us.

Emergency food providers report continued long lines and requests for food, particularly among working families and households with children. Even in the land of opportunity, an increasing number of families are having to do without adequate food, let alone shelter. This creates an instable living environment for the families with increased problems for their children in the cognitive development stages of their lives. As a result the long term problem is that children that are not feed enough get into more fights, having more behavioral problems and do not do as well in school as children who have enough to eat and a secure place to live.

In addition to the problems mentioned, in order to get many children through school, many schools have lowered the standard of education and expectations in order to meet public demands that a certain number of children must graduate in order for Federal funding to continue. With each passing generation the problems have gotten worse and children today are less capable to handle work and life's challenges as mature adults, thus increasing early pregnancies and increased drug abuse causing increases in crime and the criminal population in prisons.