Cost of SUDs

COST OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

  1. It is common knowledge that our nation and State are faced with a public health emergency pertaining to Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and mental illness.
  2. Nearly 21 million Americans – more than the number of people who have all cancers combined – suffer from SUDs.
  3. There were 81,230 drug overdose deaths in the United States in the 12-months ending May 2020.
  4. 90% of Americans who need services for drug abuse do not get it.
  5. Substance Use Disorders are a brain-based disease. There is no known cure for SUDs. However, recovery is possible with proper medical care and treatment.
  6. The annual economic impact of substance misuse is estimated to be $249 billion for alcohol misuse and $193 billion for illicit drug use. Addiction and Substance Misuse Reports and Publications | HHS.gov
  7. During 2017, in Wisconsin we had 36,000 estimated cases of SUDs. The economic cost of these disorders were: $529.4 million in healthcare costs, $59.8 million in SUDs-specific treatment, $250.6 million in criminal justice involvement, $529.4 million in lost productivity, and $6,594.7 million in reduced quality of life.  State-Level Economic Costs of Opioid Use Disorder and Fatal Opioid Overdose — United States, 2017 | MMWR (cdc.gov)
  8. The per capita cost in Wisconsin of SUDs and fatal opioid overdose in 2017 was estimated at between $2,604 and $3,337.   (Source: Ibid.)