Societal Problems of Drug Abuse

• Crime as addicts often resort to theft and violence to afford drugs, also the NHS spends billions annually on drug therapies to treat addictions (2021-2022 they spent £650million)
• The government estimates costs of alcohol-related harm at £21.5bn, and illicit drug use harm at £10.7bn and claims that 80% of the UK’s 400,000 problem drug users are claiming out-of-work benefits
• 2013/14, UK heroin users reached 293,879, 29,150 adults successfully used drug therapy, and 114,920 adults received alcohol treatment, according to Public Health England
• Department of Work and Pensions (May 2012): 40,000 people claim incapacity benefits, with alcoholism as a primary condition with about 1/3 having been claiming for over a decade