**That's per day**
Has Been Spent On Drug Detox & Treatment Since 2015
According to SAMHSA, the substance abuse treatment industry is $35 billion per year. This makes the treatment industry very large and lucrative. Although so much money is spent on treatment, very few make it to detox or rehab. Even more critically, many addicts who attempt to quit and go through drug withdrawal on their own are unable to afford treatment, leading to an untold number of deaths each year.
Source: FORBES, SAMHSA**That's per day**
People Aged 12 and Older Received Specialized Treatment For Addiction Since 2015
Although many millions need special help for addiction, only a small percentage actually get the help they need (less than 10%). The reasons for this may be denial of an addiction, poverty, limited access to care, or lack of insurance coverage. With education, better healthcare coverage, and recognition by the government of the magnitude of the substance abuse epidemic, this can hopefully be solved.
Source: SAMHSA**That's per day**
Spent on The War on Drugs This Year
One of the most shocking addiction statistics is the cost of the Drug War. The "War on Drugs" has been roaring since the 1980s. Arrests have skyrocketed along with federal and state funds going toward the effort to eradicate drugs and crime. Despite being so expensive, there still remains a current opioid and heroin epidemic nationwide.
Source:**That's per day**
Spent on Illegal Drugs Since 2000
The US population spends roughly the same amount on purchasing illegal drugs as the US government spends on fighting the War on Drugs. Illicit substances remain a hot commodity with demand just as high as ever. It seems no matter how much the government spends on fighting illegal drug trade, people still end up finding them.
Source: Huffington Post**That's per day**
Prescriptions Have Been Written for Opioid Drugs Since 2008
Since 1991, the number of painkiller prescriptions has nearly quadrupled. In 1991, 76 million opioid prescriptions were written by doctors, now that number is well over 200 million. These drugs include oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, morphine, and many more. These drugs are highly addictive and have been a major contributor to the addiction and overdose death epidemic.
Source: NIH**That's per day**
People Aged 12 And Older Who Need Treatment for Addiction Since 2015
In the United States, millions of people every year need help for addiction. Some are aware but do not have the means to get help. Some do not believe they need help but fall in line with the guidelines of diagnosing a substance abuse disorder.
Source: SAMHSA**That's per day**
Has Been Profited By Private Prisons Since 2012
The private prison industry works by keeping their prisons full so that inmates can work for very low wages. This labor is often pennies per hour and offers a big boost to private corporation income. Private companies spend tens of millions of dollars every year lobbying to keep this industry in business. Private prisons rely on repeat offenders to keep their prisons full (often drug offenders). Rather than offering treatment, these prisons rely on inmates staying sick.
Source: Smart Asset, ACLU**That's per day**
People Arrested For Drug Related Charges Since 2015
The "War on Drugs" has lead to millions upon millions of arrests since the 1980s. This number is rising and has caused the United States to have the largest prison population on the planet. The United States houses 22% of the world's prison population, most of which being drug related charges.
Source:**That's per day**
People Have Been Arrested This Year For Marijuana Charges
Several states in the past few years have begun to decriminalize, legalize, or reduce drug offense charges involving cannabis. Federally, it is still illegal, in addition to most other states. Regardless of its legality in some parts of the US, many people are arrested and punished for cannabis possession every year.
Source:**That's per day**
People Have Been Incarcerated This Year For Drug Offenses
More than a million people are arrested for drug charges every year. With a number this high, it comes at no surprise that thousands end up behind bars long term. Many of those incarcerated have no violent charges yet still end up in prison.
Source:**That's per day**
People Arrested For Heroin and Cocaine Related Charges Since 2010
Out of all drug arrests, 20-25% are Heroin or Cocaine-related every year. That is over 300,000 people every year arrested for the possession or manufacturing of hard narcotic drugs. This number is still rising due to the current heroin and opioid epidemic.
Source:**That's per day**
Number of People Being Treated For Opioid Misuse Since January 1st 2017
The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Since 1999, the number of people using prescription opioids has quadrupled. This has lead to a steady rise in opioid misuse, overdose, and addiction. More communities are investing harm reduction programs and the distribution of Narcan, an opioid blocker and overdose reversal medication.
Source: CDC**That's per day**
Deaths From Drug Overdose Since 2000
Drug overdoses are increasing rapidly since the millennium. This includes opioid overdoses which have increased more than 200% since the year 2000. In 2014, fatal drug overdoses surpassed deaths by motor vehicle accidents. These numbers are only rising, with 2015 being the first year overdose deaths surpassed 50,000.
Source:**That's per day**
People Have Been Arrested For Driving Under The Influence This Year
Drunk driving kills many and costs states and insurance companies billions of dollars each year. An estimated 28 people die each day from drunk driving. It is also estimated that over 60% of people will be involved in a drunk driving accident at least once in their lifetime.
Source:**That's per day**
People In The US Have Had An Alcohol Use Disorder Since 2015
America's drinking problem is rising. Almost 1/7 adults has had an alcohol use disorder in their lifetime. The reason for this trend is unknown but it seems to be steadily increasing every year. There seems to be a cultural shift for people to binge drink more and more often (4 drinks in one sitting for women, 5 drinks in one sitting for men).
While heavy drinking is dangerous, alcohol withdrawal can also be deadly.
**That's per day**
People Have Died From Alcohol Poisoning Since 2015
Alcohol poisoning seems to get less attention than other types of drug overdose but is still a major problem. About 6 people die every day in the United States from alcohol poisoning. This is a trend that is rising due to the cultural change regarding the acceptance of binge drinking.
Source: CDC**That's per day**
People Have Died From Liver Disease and Cirrhosis Since 2014
Liver disease and cirrhosis are extremely common among alcoholics and other substance abusers. Many substances cause immense liver damage which can lead to a variety of health problems and many times death. Nearly 40,000 people die every year from liver disease.
**That's per day**
People Have Been Diagnosed With HIV Attributed With Injection Drug Use Since 2015
HIV is a deadly immune system virus that eventually leads to AIDS. Injection drug use is one of the common ways people contract the virus via blood to blood contact. The number of people being diagnosed each year is actually declining due to greater accessibility to education, clean needles, and regular screenings. With more harm reduction centers and needle exchange programs this number will continue to decline.
Source: CDC