The Short Run: Drug Treatment Pays for Itself Many Times Over

by Dollars and Sense

Drug Treatment Pays for Itself Many Times Over

An item from "The Short Run" in the May/June issue of Dollars & Sense.

A study of drug treatment programs published in the journal Health Policy Research has found that every dollar spent on treatment saves $7 in costs ranging from health care and mental health services, to criminal activities and resulting incarceration, to lost earnings. The authors conclude: “Even without considering the direct value to clients of improved health and quality of life, allocating taxpayer dollars to substance-abuse treatment may be a wise investment.” The study focuses on drug treatment programs in California, where, in 2000, voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 36, which requires treatment rather than incarceration for drug offenders. The results confirm an earlier UCLA study that found that the state saved $2.50 for every dollar spent; the Drug Policy Alliance projected a savings of $1.4 billion for the first five years of the state’s new emphasis on treatment.

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6/29/2006 12:02:00 PM