National Estimates of Expenditures for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1997

February 2001 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Estimates of Expenditures for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1997 About 11 percent of the adult population of the United States will suffer from a substance abuse (SA) problem, including alcohol and/or drug abuse, during the course of a year. Of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide in 1990, alcohol use was fourth. The social cost of substance abuse in the United States in 1995 has been estimated at $276 billion. Given the magnitude of SA-related morbidity and mortality and this enormous cost, society should know how much is . . .