This plain language summary breaks down a peer-reviewed study that estimated the societal burden of the opioid crisis at $1 trillion. The study methodology used the “value of a statistical life” approach to estimating economic costs rather than a “human capitol” approach. The study looked at economic costs in the following categories: healthcare, criminal justice, lost productivity, valuation of lost quality of life, and the values of life lost.
Funding Source: Recovery Research Institute – “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”
The Societal Burden of the Opioid Crisis Estimated at Trillion in 2017
A plain language summary of a peer-reviewed study that estimated the societal burden of the opioid crisis at $1 trillion from the Recovery Research Institute