Recent study: Meth abuse cost U.S. $23 billion in 2005

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Some say drug offenses are victimless crimes. Scott County's prosecuting attorney says that belief is far from the truth and a new study supports his view.

"Unfortunately, there is a large part of society that believes that drugs should be legalized and taxed," Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd said. "There is no such thing as a victimless crime. Someone is always left behind to pick up, clean up or pay for another person's decision to commit a crime, even if it is a crime of self indulgence involving the use of drugs."

Earlier this month the RAND Corp. released a study titled "The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in the United States, 2005." Boyd said it provides "a snapshot of what the abuse of illegal drugs costs society as a whole."

According to the study, the cost of meth abuse nationwide was $23 billion in 2005.

The obvious costs are those associated with crime and criminal justice expenses -- the cost of arresting and incarcerating meth offenders and associated non-drug crimes such as theft to support their drug use.

"But there's a huge cost beyond prosecution and housing prisoners," Boyd said. "What else is it costing us?"

One of the major costs to society is child endangerment costs, including the cost to provide care for their children when meth users are high, in rehab or in prison, Boyd said.

Treatment and hospital care for meth users is another cost, as is premature death due to drug abuse.

Meth abuse also has a more direct effect on the economy, the study said.

An estimated 126,091 members of the workforce nationwide use meth at least once per week, costing millions in lost productivity, absenteeism and drug testing.

The hazardous waste cleanup of meth labs, plus injures and deaths from explosions and fires add more to the cost of meth abuse.

The costs associated with methamphetamine are rising. Based on drug use and treatment data from 2007 and the RAND study for 2005, the estimated cost for meth use in 2007 is $26.5 billion.

"Our own criminal justice system pursuant to sentencing guidelines refers to drug cases as if they are victimless crimes," Boyd said. He explained that when presentence investigations are conducted for drug crimes, "they're not looking behind the scenes at their families and other people around them that their drug use affects."

scottw@standard-democrat.com