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Drug abuse costs
states heavily

A study estimates states
spend as much as they do
on higher education

Full report
PDF of Hawaii report

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By David Ho
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Dealing with the effects of drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse cost states about as much as they pay for higher education, a private study estimates.

States spent $81.3 billion dealing with substance abuse in 1998 -- or about 13 percent of their budgets, according to the study released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

The three-year, state-by-state study, titled "Shoveling Up: The Impact of Substance Abuse on State Budgets," put New York at the top in percentage of funds -- 18 percent of its budget -- spent to "shovel up the wreckage" of abuse. South Carolina had the lowest percentage -- under 7 percent.

Hawaii was seventh among the states included in the study, with a per capita spending of $368. The national average was $299.

"Substance abuse and addiction is the elephant in the living room of state government, creating havoc with service systems, causing illness, injury and death and consuming increasing amounts of state resources," said Joseph A. Califano Jr., the center's president.

Only about 4 percent of the amount spent, or $3 billion, was for prevention and treatment programs, Califano said. The rest of the money spent was drawn from state services ranging from law enforcement and welfare to health care and education.

The report recommends greater investment in prevention and treatment, particularly among prisoners to keep them from committing drug-related crimes after their release.

"Governors who want to curb child abuse, teen pregnancy and domestic violence and further reduce welfare rolls must face up to this reality: Unless they prevent and treat alcohol and drug abuse and addiction, their other well-intentioned efforts are doomed," Califano said.

Total state spending in 1998 was $620 billion, with 13.1 percent related to substance abuse, the report said. By comparison, states spent an average of 13.1 percent of their budgets on higher education, 11.3 percent on Medicaid and 8.3 percent on transportation.

State justice systems had the largest portion of the expenses attributed to substance abuse, spending $30.7 billion on prisons, juvenile justice and court costs.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said the report demonstrates the need for a "balanced strategy" to deal with drug abuse.

"We cannot simply arrest our way out of the problem," Edward H. Jurith, acting director of the office, said in a statement. "Treatment programs that follow a criminal from arrest to post-release follow-up must be implemented to end the cycle of drug abuse and crime."

Federal estimates, using 1995 data, place the overall federal, state and local costs of drug and alcohol use at $277 billion annually, including law enforcement and social programs.

The new study, which does not include federal funds, relied on data from the states about their spending on prevention programs, research and health care costs directly related to substance abuse. For indirect costs, researchers estimated the burden on state resources.

For example, to estimate substance abuse costs in elementary and high school education, researchers considered the expenses caused by all abusers. Mothers who drink while pregnant and have children with fetal alcohol syndrome influence the costs of special education when those kids go to school. Student drug use affects the need for drug testing and health care, and drug-related violence might require more spending on security and repairs. Teachers who abuse substances can cost the state in productivity and health insurance.

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Adding up

Per capita by states on substance abuse:

Alabama, $277
Alaska, $532
Arizona, $205
Arkansas, $206
California, $340
Colorado, $217
Connecticut, $267
Delaware, $500
District of Columbia, $812
Florida, $215
Georgia, $210
Hawaii, $368
Idaho, $196
Illinois, $239
Iowa, $257
Kansas, $223
Kentucky, $245
Louisiana, $243
Maryland, $253
Massachusetts, $442
Michigan, $282
Minnesota, $433
Mississippi, $178
Missouri, $254
Montana, $291
Nebraska, $176
Nevada, $282
New Jersey, $252
New Mexico, $271
New York, $478
North Dakota, $155
Ohio, $263
Oklahoma, $213
Oregon, $278
Pennsylvania, $292
Puerto Rico, $235
Rhode Island, $303
South Carolina, $158
South Dakota, $176
Tennessee, $173
Utah, $242
Vermont, $229
Virginia, $267
Washington, $269
West Virginia, $187
Wisconsin, $273
Wyoming, $240
State Average, $299

Note: Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Texas did not provide complete information for the study and are not included in this list. An estimate of their substance abuse spending is $13.7 billion, which added to the figures from the 47 listed jurisdictions totals $81.3 billion.

Source: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Full report
PDF of Hawaii report