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Drug abuse treatment is cost effective,
reducing associated health and societal costs. Drug abuse treatment is less
expensive than alternatives, such as not treating addicts or incarcerating
them. For example, the average cost for 1 full year of methadone maintenance
treatment is approximately $4,700 per patient, whereas 1 full year of
imprisonment costs approximately $18,400 per person. According to several
conservative estimates, every $1 invested in addiction treatment programs
yields up to $7 in savings, much of which results from reduced drug-related
crime and criminal justice costs.
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