Right across the world millions of people are battling addiction and when it comes to healthcare, more and more people are seeking support.
These areas include the likes of cocaine rehab, alcohol treatment and methods of giving up smoking.
In Australia that’s certainly the case and according to reports, addiction is costing the nation a staggering $80.3billion, as the severity of addiction hits crisis point.
The study, put together by national addiction research body Turning Point, has delved into the state of addiction in the country and found that it’s pretty alarming at present.
Dan Lubman, professor of addiction studies and executive clinical director at Turning Point said of the report, “One in four Australians will struggle with alcohol, drugs or gambling in their lifetime.”
Which is a breathtaking number, and perhaps no wonder that the country has one of the biggest financial burdens when it comes to addiction-related health.
It had previously been unclear just how much it was costing the country, and the number is significant, leading to calls for a new national response to addiction management in the country.
Australia isn’t alone in that, it’s a similar story in the USA where pleas have been put into Joe Biden’s administration to do more to tackle the opioid crisis there. One of the big messages in doing that is by challenging preconceptions and the stigma often associated with addiction and drug abuse.
Professor Lubman continued, “Addiction is something that we can’t dismiss anymore. It’s something that we need to take seriously.” “I think one of the things that this report clearly shows is that we’ve got our priorities all askew.”
Lubman also added that the country needs to look at it as a health problem, rather than a criminal or moral one, particularly as the largest levels of addiction are coming from those substances that are legal in the country.
Tobacco is the highest, with around 44% of the $80billion cost of healthcare being contributed to tobacco addiction, while alcohol makes up for 28% of that, the pair contributing to well over two thirds, with only 16% of addiction cost coming from other drugs, including those that could be considered illegal.
The report is a pretty daming view on addiction levels and the direction the Australian government is taking with it, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the coming years as addiction levels worsen and pressure increases to do something about it.
