Using cost-of-illness methodology applied to a comprehensive survey of 114
daily opiate users not currently in or seeking treatment for their addictio
n, we estimated the 1996 social costs of untreated opioid dependence in Tor
onto (Ontario, Canada). The survey collected data on social and demographic
characteristics, drug use history, physical and mental health status, the
use of health care and substance treatment services, drug use modality and
sex-related risks of infectious diseases, sources of income, as well as cri
minality and involvement with the law enforcement system. The annual social
cost generated by this sample, calculated at Canadian $5.086 million, is e
xplained mostly by crime victimization (44.6%) and law enforcement (42.4%),
followed by productivity losses (7.0%) and the utilization of health care
(6.1%). Applying the $13,100 cost to the estimated 8,000 to 13,000 users an
d 2.456 million residents living in Toronto yields a range of social cost b
etween $43 and $69 per capita.