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The economic costs of illicit drug use in Ontario, 1992
Author(s) -
Xie Xiaodi,
Rehrn Jürgen,
Single Eric,
Robson Lynda,
Paul Josh
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1050(199802)7:1<81::aid-hec330>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - illicit drug , economic cost , social cost , health economics , public health , environmental health , substance abuse , public economics , business , health care , economics , drug , economic growth , medicine , psychiatry , neoclassical economics , nursing
The use of illicit drugs causes health and social problems which imply economic costs to society. This paper uses the cost‐of‐illness method, in particular, the human–capital approach to estimate the prevalence‐based economic costs of illicit drug use in Ontario in 1992. This methodology is consistent with international guidelines formulated at the 1994 International Symposium on Economic and Social Costs of Substance Abuse. The economic cost of illicit drug use is estimated at $489.29 million (Canadian dollars) in 1992. Associated with these costs are health‐related harms: 211 deaths, half of which occur before the age of 35; and 20 690 days stay in public hospitals. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.