Prescription opioid abuse is threatening to cripple the country as it has reached the level of an epidemic in the United States. “More than 40 Americans die each day from involving prescription opioids. Families and communities continue to be devastated by the epidemic of prescription opioid overdoses,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

Moreover, its tentacles have spread so much that it is posing a huge burden on the national treasury. “The rising cost of the epidemic is also a tremendous burden for the health care system,” says Frieden.

According to a recent study, published in the Medical Care in October 2016, prescription opioid abuse costs the U.S. economy approximately $78.5 billion annually.

As per a research by the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, health care accounted for about one-third of the costs linked to prescription opioid abuse in 2013. And one-fourth of the total burden was borne by the public sector. It included costs funded by public insurance, such as Medicaid, Medicare, veterans’ programs, and other government sources meant for substance abuse treatment.

The research, led by Curtis Florence, Ph.D., aimed at helping people understand the economic impact of prescription overdose, abuse and dependence, apart from formulating strategies for reducing the burden of the epidemic.

2 million Americans abused opioids in 2013

The study, which was conducted by examining a huge data from a wide range of sources, unearthed some startling information, which pointed towards a colossal loss of public money. The costs were measured in terms of direct health care costs, loss of productivity and costs to the criminal justice system.

Key takeaways

· The study found that nearly 2 million Americans met the criteria for prescription opioid abuse and dependence in 2013. There were also more than 16,000 deaths from prescription opioid overdose that year.

· In 2013, over $28 billion was spent on health care and substance abuse and approximately $26 billion of this amount was covered by insurance.

· In case of loss of productivity, including reduced productive hours and lost production for incarcerated individuals, the estimate stood at about $20 billion.

· In case of fatal overdoses, including costs related to health care and lost productivity, the cost was estimated at about $21.5 billion.

· The cost incurred due to criminal justice, which was mostly borne directly by state and local governments, stood at approximately $7.7 billion. It also led to a reduced tax revenue due to opioid-related productivity losses.

“The costs that we can identify, however, do help increase our understanding of the impact of the epidemic,” the researchers said.

They said that these estimates can surely assist decision makers in understanding the magnitude of the adverse health consequences associated with prescription opioid use, overdose, abuse and dependence.

Dealing with addiction

Dependence on any substance eventually leads to addiction and this can result in serious health implications. Chronic addiction to any drug, be it opioid or illicit street drug, can be fatal if not treated at the earliest. But with timely treatment, people can go sober again and lead healthy lives like others. The patient should be determined to fight off the evil.

If you or a loved one is addicted to any drug, get in touch with the Texas Drug Addiction Treatment to find any relevant information on drug addiction treatment in Texas. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 855–980–5757 to avail services of quality drug addiction treatment centers in Texas for a long-term recovery.