AHS Views

A recent article in the Novus Medical Detox newsletter addressed the issue of being able to afford the cost of getting yourself or someone you love through drug detox and a successful drug rehab program.

With so many lives in ruin because of alcohol or drug addiction and dependency, the obvious question is ‘can I afford not to?’ Nevertheless, cost is a consideration.

The article specifically addresses prescription drug abuse, which is right on the heels of heroin, methamphetamine and other street drugs and, in some areas, has actually become the bigger problem. As the author points out, when someone starts taking prescription drugs, the cost is often covered by insurance. But dependency and addiction change all that and, when their doctor can no longer justify continuing the prescription for its original purpose, the person starts looking for the drug elsewhere. And that can cost big money.

OxyContin, for example, costs 11 to 16 cents per milligram at the drugstore, but the price goes up to 50 cents or a dollar on the street. With 160 milligrams/day being a low average of daily consumption for an addicted person, what was costing them $18 to $26 dollars a day when obtained legitimately suddenly turns into $80 to $160/day, and it’s no longer covered by insurance. Where does somebody get $160 a day – that’s about $58,000 a year - to spend on drugs? Now you know why drug abuse often leads to a life of crime.

If someone you love is addicted to drugs, find a successful drug rehab program fast. No matter what the cost, it’s not going to be $58,000 a year for years and years on end, and it may save their life.