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    Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents: A Cost Benefits Analysis

    By Mithra Salmassi
    July 2009

    Looking to convince policymakers that they should fund your prevention program?

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has just released a new publication that can help you build a case for support.

    Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents: A Cost Benefits Analysis “is designed to help policymakers and other stakeholders use the results of cost-benefit analysis as an information tool for decision making and for selecting the substance abuse prevention programs that best apply available resources toward addressing their needs,” according to SAMHSA.

    The report details the extent of substance abuse among youth, costs of substance abuse to the nation and to states, cost savings that could be gained if effective prevention policies, programs, and services were implemented nationwide, and programs and policies that are most cost beneficial.

    The costs of untreated addiction also is examined, along with the anticipated return on investment in prevention programs. The report is available free online (PDF, 64 KB).