Who is affected by stigma? Everyone
The economic cost from drugs and alcohol (direct and indirect) is $578 billion. Despite the cost to society, some people feel that any investment in rehabilitation programs is wasted. They see treatment programs as an unnecessary burden to our economy. They need to hear the facts.
FACT: If everyone struggling with addiction received the treatment they needed, the US economy would save $368 billion in costs attributed to addiction-related healthcare, crime and social services.
Furthermore, a qualitative study with addicted persons points to the direct effects of public stigmatization on their behavior. In some cases, a pattern of alcohol consumption and drug use is directly motivated by the need to forget, erase, or avoid the shame of addiction itself.