From CASA’s Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets:
If substance abuse and addiction were its own [federal] budget category, it would rank sixth in size–behind social security, national defense, income security, Medicare and other health programs. […]
If substance abuse and addiction were its own [state] budget category, it would rank second behind elementary and secondary education. States spend more on substance abuse and addiction than they spend on Medicaid, higher education, transportation or justice. […]
For every dollar federal and state governments spent to prevent and treat substance abuse and addiction, they spent $59.83 in public programs shoveling up its wreckage.
Maybe I’m naive, but I was not aware how big a draw on budgets substance abuse was. And, it is probably underfunded relative to the problem. Are we talking about this health behavior enough?
