Drug abuse costs rival those of chronic diseases

Illicit drug use cost the U.S. economy an estimated $193 billion in 2007 — a figure that comes close to the annual costs related to diabetes and other chronic diseases, according to a government study released Thursday by the National Drug Intelligence Center.

The report looked at the most recent year in which data was available and examined expenses associated with crime, health and medical treatment, and lost productivity related to the use of illegal drugs and the abuse of pharmaceuticals.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/26/drug.abuse.costs/