WASHINGTON — The White House says the true cost of the opioid drug epidemic in 2015 was $504 billion, or roughly half a trillion dollars.
In an analysis released Monday, the Council of Economic Advisers says the figure is more than six times larger than the most recent estimate. The council said a 2016 private study estimated that prescription opioid overdoes, abuse and dependence in the U.S. in 2013 cost $78.5 billion. Most of that was attributed to health care and criminal justice spending, along with lost productivity.
Stop. Stop spreading tainted information. 64,000 deaths from opioids. Where did you obtain this number? What is the actual breakdown, in other words prescription vs street drugs.
Do you have comperable numbers of deaths from tobacco and alcohol ? How about NSAIDs?? Tylenol? Firearms?.
This is a false flag ‘war’. Follow the money. Look who profits.
If there was a real humanitarian concern, tobacco would be illegal. Alcohol as well. And Guns Just Stop.
Actually you’re wrong. We have an epidemic of fake news led by the AP
I agree. This is a fabrication to benefit the pharmaceutical industry. Anyone check the sales of Narcan lately? Or new and improved pain meds? Or profits of pain clinics (procedures are lucrative but inadequate). Street drugs use is the issue, not prescription drugs.