What Does Drug Abuse Cost Your City?
Drug abuse reaches far into many aspects of any user’s life, though he may not be aware of it in the course of his daily activities. The abuse might start because he has a problem he cannot solve or because it’s considered “what to do” for entertainment. No matter how it begins, the simple fact that he starts to use drugs is what is significant. Statistics show that many young people are now doing drugs at school because they’ve been prescribed pills that are supposed to enable them to study better. They find out that the drug also feels good, so they share this experience with their friends; the next thing you know, one savvy kid is making money from the other students at school.
Let’s take one of these students as an example. He has a problem in life, perhaps a problem in school, possibly difficulty with one of his peers or a clique of students. He likes how he feels from taking the pill, because, when he’s high, he doesn’t worry about that life problem—so he wants more. This student might then start to look into his mom’s cabinet and finds an assortment of pills to choose from. “One for going to sleep,” and, “one for waking up.” So he steals from his mom. It could be that, later in the year, we find that student engaging in irrational behavior like driving under the influence, or maybe even stealing from his neighbors. Then, as his pharmacological dependence progresses, he might become ill and need medical attention that his family cannot afford. The medical system of his community would have to pay for his illnesses. We can see that the cost to the community is rising. Stealing from his neighbors will bring law enforcement into the situation, which will cost the city man-hours and all the expense of police work. The cost to your city is rising day by day.
If we then take into account the fact that there are many children, teens and adults all caught in this downward spiral, then it becomes clear that the cost to your city is snowballing. The governmental administration is forced to pay for those who cannot pay. Whether medical care or law enforcement, our tax dollars are spent doing whatever it takes to keep our cities safe from drug abusers. It doesn’t even matter if these abusers are white-collar workers, students, or middle-class—these problems all add up to the same thing. It is time for all of us to wake up and help addicts with accurate information about drug use. It is up to us to get addicts and their families the right education and treatment.
If you or someone you love needs help with drug addiction, call New Life Retreat now. Not all drug rehabs are created equal. We are known throughout the U.S. for our compassionate staff and effective program methodology. If you want a drug rehabilitation program that is the last one you’ll ever have to do, call us now.
