Every American likely experienced some form of middle- or high-school health class, where frightening stories were told about the effects of drug use on one’s body. The physical toll is undeniable, especially when looking at that of a substance like heroin or methamphetamines, but some people forget about the toll of any type of drug addiction. Substances like alcohol and marijuana are legal for use (depending on the location, of course), but that doesn’t mean they’re safe for your body or your wallet when you’re addicted. A new infographic released from Detox.net shows us exactly how much these and all other drug addictions literally cost you over your lifetime.
According to their study, an addiction seeming as harmless as overuse of alcohol will end up costing you an incredible amount (and this is one of the “cheaper” addictions). Looking at beer, specifically, a 15-year addiction would cost you as much as a down payment on a house ($44,020).
The numbers for liquor are even more stark. You could cover nearly two down payments with the amount spent on a 15-year addiction to this substance.
The results become even scarier when you see how costly other drugs are. In just five years, a heroin addiction costs just under 1 million dollars. Forget a down payment — you could buy a few houses, cash, with that amount of money. After 25 years of heroin use, you’re looking at over $1.5 million dollars spent.
Cocaine also runs addicts a few hundred thousand dollars after a few years. After five years of being addicted, you would have spent the equivalent of buying three brand new cars. A 25-year addiction would cost you over $550,000.
Drug addiction is a huge problem in the United States and in countries around the world. It’s a common topic on the news, and the U.S. government is constantly releasing reports and alerts on the subject. The focus is often on the health implications for users of substances, which is a undeniably important (and scary) consideration. However, this set of infographics illustrates that there is much more to drug use than simply the health risks. It can deteriorate one’s finances in addition to one’s body, and lead to other issues in an addict’s life as a result. This only underlines the need for society to solve the issue of drug addiction and help addicts lead happy, drug-free lives.