When someone asks, “How much does the opioid epidemic cost” they are often talking about what this epidemic is doing to our country, communities, and economy. It’s important to understand just how devastating opioid addiction can be. Even if it starts because of prescription misuse, it can lead to long-term losses that are hard to put a dollar amount on. Our team at Santé Center for Healing wants you to know the opioid epidemic facts.

Consider the Facts – How Much Does the Opioid Epidemic Cost?

When you are considering how much does opioid epidemic cost people, here are some key facts from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Methadone Treatment: A person who needs methadone treatment to stop using will likely pay $126 a week or $6552 per year for that care.
Naltrexone for Overdose Treatment: The cost of the drug, administrating the drug, and related services are $1176.50 a month or $14,112 per year.
Buprenorphine for a Stable Client: This includes two visits a week for care and medication. It can cost $115 per week or $5980 per year.

These estimates are based on the country’s averages. What you should know is that many of these costs are covered by public programs or go unpaid when the care is administered in an emergency setting.

What About The Cost to the Country?

There are a few more opioid epidemic facts you should know. The National Institute on Drug Abuse also provides these. The cost that is paid for the treatment of these disorders is only the tip of the iceberg. The true cost of an epidemic also needs to consider the impact it has on society as a whole. The organization states that the cost of both overdoses and disorder treatment in the U.S. costs the country $78 billion (2013). Just 3.6 percent of that is for treatment. The rest comes from losses related to economic drivers.

More recent figures from the White House provide some key insights. The tangible expenses related to the epidemic are incredible. The estimate, from the Council of Economic Advisors, says that:

The opioid crisis has cost $686 billion in just 2018.
That is about 3.4 percent of the country’s GDP.
From 2015 to 2018, the cost was $2.5 trillion.

Consider Even More Losses

When you consider how much does the opioid epidemic cost beyond these financial factors, you have to consider the cost to live. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 67,367 people died from overdoses in 2018. Of those people, 70 percent of those overdoses resulted from the use of opioids of some type. From 1999 through 2018, over 450,000 people have died from opioids.

What Can You Do to Avoid Being a Statistic?

There is help available to you at an opioid detox program. When you read these opioid epidemic facts, you have to be shocked. It’s costly in many ways. You do not have to be one to suffer from this addiction nor the risks of overdose. You need to reach out for a comprehensive treatment program that can help you. We can do that for you. Learn more about our programs:

Explore the Treatment Options Available to You at Santé Center for Healing

So, how much does the opioid epidemic cost if you or your loved one loses their life to it? That’s a hard question – it’s meant to make you think about the true loss potential if you continue to use opioids. Our team at Santé Center for Healing wants to help you. We encourage you to get the opioid epidemic facts you need and then call our counselors to learn more about how we can help you. Call 866.238.3154 today.