As a follow up to our ongoing efforts to defeat the opioid epidemic in Westmoreland County, I wanted to share an article from the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy that briefs on the economic impact of drug abuse. What is the economic impact of opioid and heroin abuse in our area? The estimation ranges from $51-$108 million for each drug in costs for health care, crime, and lost wages and benefits. Nationally these costs were estimated at $55.7 billion in 2007.
Please click on the below link to review the article to learn more about this economic impact, nationally and locally.
http://www.alleghenyinstitute.org/the-economic-impact-of-opioid-abuse-locally/