| Hans-Günter Meyer-Thompson | International
How Much Does it Cost to Criminalise People Who Use Drugs?
How Much Does it Cost to Criminalise People Who Use Drugs?
The massive criminalization of people who use drugs in the EECA region instead of the declared support of public health and social security imposes a financial and social burden on States. On average, incarceration costs are 2-6 times higher than the expenditures for health and social services.
This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA). The organization collected data on incarceration costs of people who use drugs from countries of the EECA region as well as data on money spent for harm reduction services. (EHRA, 27.05.2019)
https://harmreductioneurasia.org/how-much-does-it-cost-to-criminalize-pwud/