Tobacco Most Expensive Drug

[Dr. Leospace]

Overall, The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada estimates that booze, drugs and tobacco cost Canadians about $39.8 billion in 2002. That's 40 times the amount of money the Government of Nunavut spends each year.

That adds up to $1,267 per person:

* tobacco cost the most, at $541 per person; * alcohol cost $463 per person; * and illegal drugs cost $262 per person.

Out of the total costs to Canada:

* productivity losses made up 61 per cent of costs; * direct health care costs made up 22 per cent of costs; * policing costs made up 14 per cent of costs; * and other costs made up the remaining 3 per cent.

Source: The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002, Highlights.

 

[tryptonaut]

* productivity losses made up 61 per cent of costs

I'd be very careful with such numbers. They calculate losses which wouldn't be there if people didn't smoke/drink/whatever. These numbers can only be over-optimistic assumptions because we don't have a comparable society without alcohol or cigarettes - so they just assume people would never be tired in the morning if they didn't drink alcohol or that they would never take small breaks if they didn't smoke.
IMO these calculated losses are total BS, just like when the record companies calculate their losses through pirated downloads with the formula "every downloaded copy equals one CD not sold" :roll:

 

[Guest]

Yeah, these things aren't right.
My ex-girlfriend who wasn't that bright believed it when they said that because we didn't use the 1 and 2 cents anymore and the numbers are "rounded up" when paying with cash it will cost you 500 bucks a year. That would mean that you would have to buy 50.000 things where you lose 1 eurocent when paying with cash. Don't think so!