Drug abusing not only effects the individuals who are abusing drugs but it also effects their families and friends, various businesses, and government resources. Drug abuse can also cause ill health, sickness and ultimately death of the persons who are addicted to the drugs. Drug abuse may cause contraction of needle borne illnesses including hepatitis and HIV/AIDS through injection drug use.
Social Consequences:
NSDUH data indicate that in 2004 over 3.5 million individuals aged 18 and older admitted to having injected an illicit drug during their lifetime. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 123,235 adults living with AIDS in the United States in 2003 contracted the disease from injection drug use. CDC further reports that more than 25,000 people died in 2003 from drug induced effects. Children of the parents who abuse drugs often are physically or emotionally abused and lack proper immunizations, medical care, dental care, and necessities such as food, water, and shelter. NCLSS data show that U.S. law enforcement agencies report that 2,474 children were affected by the illicit methamphetamine laboratories while 12 children were injured and 3 children were killed.
Economic Consequences:
A business gets effected when its employees are abused to drugs in a significant way. Some employees who are abusing drugs puts life of others at risk like airline pilots, air traffic controllers, train operators, and bus drivers etc. Businesses are often effected economically because employees who abuse drugs sometimes steal cash or supplies, equipment, and products that can be sold to get money to buy drugs. Business is also effected by absenteeism, less productivity, and increased use of medical and insurance benefits by employees who abuse drugs.
Drug abusing also effects economically by putting burden on federal, state, and local government resources because government has to spend lot of money for educating the people about the negative effects of the drugs on them. Drug abusers often require extensive medical treatment adding to social services costs. Government invests lot of money, time and manpower to investigating and cleaning up clandestine laboratories. According to DEA, the average cost to clean up a methamphetamine production laboratory is $1,900.