Spiralling cost of U.S. opioid crisis

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic toll of the opioid addiction crisis in the U.S. reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020


U.S. OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS
100 (000s) 
80				69,061	80,926
60 	47,885	47,096	50,178
40 
20
0
	2017 	2018 	2019 	2020 	2021
 
107,000 people died of drug over-doses in U.S. in 2021

Of which opioid-related 
75%


COST OF OPIOID CRISIS ($ trillions)*

1.5 				$1.47
1.2 	$1.07 	$1.04
0.9 			$0.99
0.6 
0.3
0
	2017 	2018 	2019 	2020

2021 financial data will be released later in 2022, and will likely be far higher than in 2020


*Financial estimates calculated by multiplying per capita cost estimate of opioid use disorder and fatal opioid overdoses from 2017 by total number of opioid use disorder cases and fatal opioid overdoses in 2018, 2019 and 2020 – figures then adjusted for inflation (2020 dollar rate)


Sources: Reuters, JEC 
Picture: Hal Gatewood (Unsplash) 
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