Understanding the cost of addiction in Australia

The Rethink Addiction campaign was formed to educate and advocate for the need to change Australia’s attitude and approach to addiction. Rethink Addiction have partnered with KPMG to publish “Understanding the cost of addiction in Australia.” The paper estimates in 2021 the combined cost of addiction in Australia was $80 billion dollars. Tobacco made the largest contribution to these costs - estimated to be just over $35 billion. Alcohol was found to cost $22 billion to the community, while other drugs cost $12.9 billion. These costs included lost workplace and household productivity, law enforcement costs and healthcare related costs. When considering the vast costs to the community, it makes sense to invest in prevention and treatment services that will provide a strong return on investment.

Go to “Understanding the cost of addiction in Australia”