Drug addiction costing billions of dollars

The fight against drugs comes at a huge cost, but its not even close to what the damage costs are when it comes to drug addiction. Staff Sergeant Ian Sanderson, the RCMP Drug Awareness Coordinator was in Spirit River last week to talk to Central Peace area school kids during the day before closing out the evening with a talk about drug use to parents and community members. It costs us about $3 billion a year for the damage thats caused by alcohol and tobacco in Alberta and nationally were looking at about $48 billion it costs the Canadian economy for illicit drug use, said Sanderson. Thats why he says the argument cant be made to legalize and tax drugs because the province doesnt collect $3 billion in taxes from alcohol and tobacco. It doesnt really matter what the drug is, its the addiction that is the issue, noted Sanderson.

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