• Illegal drugs are a factor in 50% of burglaries in the United Kingdom each year.
• In the US, 60% of people arrested each year have been taking illegal drugs.
• Six hundred fifty heroin addicts in the US committed 70,000 crimes in a three-month period.

• US businesses lose US$100 billion per year due to employees’ drug and alcohol abuse.
• Australians pay US$53 billion per year for health care, law enforcement and lost productivity of drug users.

• 52 people die each day due to drugs in the US.
• In Canada, substance abuse is attributed to 21 percent of total deaths and 23 percent of potential life years lost due to early mortalities.

PLUS MORE…

• In the US, treatment for drug addiction has been shown to save lives, reduce crime and rebuild families, along with:
  • 69% of those treated being drug-free one year after treatment
  • 64% reduction in arrests one year after treatment
• A vaccine has been developed in the United Kingdom that can help wean cocaine addicts by preventing a “high” from the drug.
• Research confirms that an herbal supplement, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), helps reduce cocaine cravings and may also be effective in treating heroin addiction.
• When used as a supplement to standard drug counseling, a computer program providing outpatient therapy proves helpful for addicts in becoming drug free.
• A California, USA study found that for every US$1 invested in drug treatment, US$7 was saved through reduced crime, health and welfare costs, and increased income stability.
• 60% of cocaine and heroin in the US is consumed by people who get arrested in the same year; thus, treatment that helps them to overcome drug addiction reduces crime and market demand for drugs.
• A doctor in Arizona, USA identified a new outpatient treatment for methamphetamine addicts, showing an over 60% success rate in rehabilitation.
• Since 1991, when substitution treatment became available for all heroin users in Zurich, Switzerland, the number of new addicts dropped greatly.
• Thirty percent of US inmates who were able to receive drug treatment while in prison remained drug free, with reduced likelihood of being arrested again.
• Seventy-six percent of people participating in both drug treatment programs in prison and post-prison treatment in the US remained drug-free, with increased rates of law-abiding citizenry.
• Twenty years of research in the US has demonstrated that drug treatment programs are effective in reducing crime, as well as improving the health and social function of participants.
• The Washington State Institute for Public Policy Research in the US finds that treatment programs for youth drug users are effective and can save the state between US$1,900 to US$31,200 per child.
• Drug-free workplace programs are found to result in:

  Lower absenteeism Fewer accidents Higher productivity Improved morale

  Better employee health Decreased use of and expenses for health benefits Lower corporate insurance premium costs

• The following response was rated as the best answer to a question posed on “Yahoo Ask” regarding the benefits of being drug-free:
  • No fear of police
  • No fear of needle-infected site on the body
  • No fear of 'frying' the brain
  • No fear of 'impaired' driving and thus accidents
  • Delight in being free to observe the world (vision, touch, taste, speech or hearing) without compromised senses.
  • Joy of being fully functional in a crisis or emergency
  • Ability to tell others about the joys of a drug-free life

• Through the use of satellite remote sensors, China has been able to remove virtually all opium plantations and heroin processing locations.
• New Zealand Police Association suggests parental approaches that may help children avoid involvement with drugs, such as:
  • Providing constructive encouragement
  • Talking and listening as a family
  • Instilling values that promote inner self esteem
• For International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Thailand, China, and Cambodia publicly incinerates illegal drugs.
• The United Kingdom government has implemented budget reforms to encourage drug users to attend rehabilitation courses.
• Pakistan and China work together to reduce drug trafficking between their borders.
• The Colombian Navy successfully intercepted 10 tons of cocaine and stopped it from being smuggled into the country by submarine.
• A three-year anti-drug campaign in China raises awareness and increases the number of people who remain drug-free.