The Cost of Addiction

The Annual Cost of Addiction to Prescription Opioids: $3,500 to $70,000+

The yearly cost of an Opioid addiction also varies depending on the severity of the addiction (or how many pills an individual takes daily). For instance, the average retail price of 60 tablets of OxyContin is $203. Taken three times daily, maintaining an addiction would cost $3,654 via prescription or an average of $70,200/year on the street. Yet, because addictions require increasing amounts of the same substance to feel “normal” and even more on top of that to get high, the true cost of an Opioid addiction is likely higher.

The Annual Cost of Addiction to Alcohol:  $4,500+

Many don’t fully consider the cost of an alcohol addiction because alcohol is a legal substance consumed frequently in public spaces. However, alcoholism requires an individual to drink more and more over time to get the same effect.

The Annual Cost of Addiction to Marijuana: $7,000+

Though Marijuana is not considered to be as addictive as other illicit substances, it is still a Schedule 1 drug (a category for drugs with low medical efficacy and high addiction potential). In California, the average cost of weed per ounce is $200. On average, an ounce yields 42 joints and when an individual smokes 4 per day, they’ll spend approximately $7,000 per year.

The Annual Cost of Addiction to Cocaine: $8,000+

According to recent reports in Business Insider, the price of Cocaine has remained steady for decades. A pure gram is about $150, with most spending around $100 for less-potent amounts. This is commonly broken down into about 10 lines or an average of 25 “bumps.” Commonly, Cocaine is abused with other illicit substance like Marijuana, alcohol, or other stimulants (Ecstasy or Meth). A gram of Cocaine may last a few hours, a day, or weeks depending on the severity of addiction. The severe addiction-sufferer can easily spend $100 per day or $36,500 a year; most will spend between $8,000 and $10,000 yearly.

The Annual Cost of Addiction to Heroin: $54,000+

In 2016, almost a million Americans reported using Heroin, and 626,000 qualified as having a Heroin Use Disorder. Because Heroin is a heavily-manufactured drug, the price can vary widely depending on area and purity. A single dose of Heroin can cost anywhere from $5 to $20. Those with a “hardcore” addiction have reportedly spent between $150 and $200 a day, or about $54,000 in a year. The median US household in 2016 wasn’t much more, totaling almost $59,000 annually.

 Truth of addiction,