Overdose deaths cost US $1 trillion annually, bipartisan report finds
ABC News
The drug overdose epidemic in the United States costs the nation roughly $1 trillion a year, according to a new bipartisan congressional report released Tuesday.
The drug overdose epidemic in the United States, now primarily driven by synthetic opioids like ultra-deadly fentanyl, costs the nation roughly $1 trillion a year, according to a new bipartisan congressional report released Tuesday.
"Whether measured in lives or in dollars, the United States' drug overdose epidemic should shock everyone," the report reads. "It is unacceptable."
The report provides a unique level of comprehensive review into the opioid crisis, with particular emphasis on the need to improve mental health services and expand health care access for those suffering from addiction.
A White House Council of Economic Advisers assessment pegged the cost of the opioid crisis at $700 billion three years ago.
