Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

Policymakers and other stakeholders can use cost-benefit analysis as an informative tool for decisionmaking for substance abuse prevention. This report reveals the importance of supporting effective prevention programs as part of a comprehensive substance abuse prevention strategy. The following patterns of use, their attendant costs, and the potential cost savings are analyzed:

• Extent of substance abuse among youth


• Costs of substance abuse to the Nation and to States


• Cost savings that could be gained if effective prevention policies, programs, and services were implemented nationwide
  
• Programs and policies that are most cost beneficial
  
  The cost of substance abuse could be offset by a nationwide implementation of effective prevention policies and programs. SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework should include a planning step that considers cost-benefit ratios. Communities should consider a comprehensive prevention strategy based on their unique needs and characteristics and use cost-benefit ratios to help guide their decisions. Model programs should include data on costs and estimated cost-benefit ratios to help guide prevention planning.
  

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