Arizona Profile 1997

Drug Strategies

Costs of Substance Abuse

Amidst pressures to expand state funding for drug and alcohol programs, concern is mounting that Arizona may be unable to meet the demands of its growing population. Already, substance abuse reaches deep into taxpayers' pockets, increasing the costs of health care, foster care, criminal justice and other services.

Smoking. Cancer, heart disease and respiratory illness related to smoking result in enormous health care costs, as well as lost productivity and reduced quality of life. Overall, direct and indirect costs for smoking-related illnesses in Arizona will reach at least $2,000 per smoker in 1996-a total of $1.4 billion.

Driving Under the Influence. The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates that economic losses due to alcohol-related accidents cost the state $352 million in 1995. This figure includes $192 million for fatalities, $138 million for injuries and $22 million in property damage.

Incarceration. Incarcerating an adult prisoner in Arizona costs approximately $16,400 a year. In 1995, the state spent $305 million on adult incarceration-$72.8 million for drug offenders alone. Most juvenile drug offenders in Arizona are on probation, which costs between $1,500 and $3,000 per case each year, excluding treatment costs.

Treatment. Arizona spent $39 million on treatment for 48,619 people in 1995-an average of $805 per client. Half of the money came from federal funding streams.

Infant Care. Some states estimate that the cost of neonatal intensive care for low birth weight babies ranges from $25,000 to $35,000 per child. At least 19 percent of the 9,361 tobacco and alcohol exposed infants born in Arizona in 1994 were low birth weight or premature. Their neonatal care cost at least $17 million.

Foster Care. Substance abuse is a primary factor in nearly 90 percent of Arizona's child abuse and neglect cases. Per capita foster care placements increased 26 percent between 1990 and 1995. And while the total number of children in foster care increased 62 percent between 1990 and 1996, foster care expenditures rose by only 8 percent during that time. As a result, Arizona now spends $6,639 per child in foster care, compared to $9,946 in 1990. That's a dramatic decline.

AIDS. At $102,000 per case, lifetime health care costs for AIDS cases in Arizona are estimated at $448 million, and estimated costs for drug-related AIDS cases are at least $99 million. HIV cases cost an additional $18.7 million each year ($5,150 per case). But actual costs will exceed these figures, since they do not include the cost of protease inhibitor medications (estimated at $15,000 per case annually), or indirect costs, such as reduced quality of life, lost wages and reduced productivity.

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