Ghent University, Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy, Belgium; Ghent University, Department of Criminology, Penal Law and Social Law, Universiteitstraat 4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Ghent University, Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy, Belgium; Ghent University, Department of Criminology, Penal Law and Social Law, Universiteitstraat 4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Int J Drug Policy. 2017 Jun;44:50-57. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.03.005. Epub 2017 Apr 23.
Legal and illegal drugs impose a considerable burden to the individual and to society. The misuse of addictive substances results in healthcare and law enforcement costs, loss of productivity and reduced quality of life.
A social cost study was conducted to estimate the substance-attributable costs of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and psychoactive medication to Belgian society in 2012. The cost-of-illness framework with prevalence-based and human capital approach was applied. Three cost components were considered: direct, indirect and intangible costs related to substance misuse.
The direct and indirect cost of addictive substances was estimated at 4.6 billion euros in Belgium (419 euros per capita or 1.19% of the GDP) and more than 515,000 healthy years are lost due to substance misuse. The Belgian social cost study reaffirms that alcohol and tobacco impose the highest cost to society compared to illegal drugs. Health problems are the main driver of the social cost of legal drugs. Law enforcement expenditure exceed the healthcare costs but only in the case of illegal drugs.
Estimating social costs of addictive substances is complex because it is difficult to determine to what extent the societal harm is caused by substances. It can be argued that social cost studies take only a 'snapshot' of the monetary consequences of substance misuse. Nevertheless, the current study offers the most comprehensive analysis thus far of the social costs of substance misuse in Belgium.
法律和非法药物给个人和社会带来了相当大的负担。成瘾物质的滥用导致医疗保健和执法成本增加、生产力损失和生活质量降低。
本研究开展了一项社会成本研究，以估计 2012 年比利时社会中酒精、烟草、非法药物和精神药物滥用的物质归因成本。采用基于患病率和人力资本方法的疾病成本框架。考虑了三个成本组成部分：与物质滥用相关的直接、间接和无形成本。
比利时成瘾物质的直接和间接成本估计为 46 亿欧元（人均 419 欧元或 GDP 的 1.19%），由于物质滥用，超过 51.5 万健康年的生命损失。比利时的社会成本研究再次证实，与非法药物相比，酒精和烟草对社会造成的成本最高。健康问题是法律药物社会成本的主要驱动因素。执法支出超过医疗保健成本，但仅在非法药物的情况下如此。
估计成瘾物质的社会成本很复杂，因为很难确定社会危害在多大程度上是由物质引起的。可以说，社会成本研究仅反映了物质滥用的货币后果的“快照”。然而，目前的研究提供了迄今为止对比利时物质滥用社会成本的最全面分析。
