In 2007, the economic cost of drug use in the United States was estimated at roughly $193 billion. This is the last available estimate.

This estimate is comprised of various expenditures. $120 billion was lost in workplace productivity. This was related to labor participation costs as well as participation in drug abuse treatment, incarceration, and early death.

About $11 Billion was spent in healthcare costs related to treatment of drug addiction as well as the drug-related health consequences.

About $61 billion was spent in criminal justice costs. These included but were not limited to investigation, prosecution and subsequent incarceration, as well as victim costs.

In 2009, most of current drug users (67%) aged 18 or older were employed, either full‐time (about 48%) or part‐time (approximately 19%) Unemployed individuals accounted for about 13% and the remaining accounted for 21% not in the labor force.