Meth does not hurt only the person making, using or selling it. It hurts the entire community.

Economy:

There are hidden costs associated with meth. Hospitals are often forced to cover very expensive treatments for meth lab explosion burn victims. In fact, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Burn Unit provides uncompensated care to an increasing number of meth lab victims at a rate of $5 million to $10 million annually.

The buildings where meth labs are seized can be quarantined for a number of months by law enforcement officials until deemed livable by cleanup officials. Workers on meth often miss work, driving down productivity.

Statistic:

Trauma patients who are meth users are more likely to have longer stays in the hospital and the bills they run up are likely to be $4,000 higher than those of the general population.

– The Journal of the America Medical Association

Law Enforcement:

It is expensive and time-consuming to certify a law enforcement officer to safely seize a meth lab. The health of those officers must be closely monitored because of their presence at lab sites. Equipment used in meth investigations is costly, and much of it must be destroyed after each use because of contamination.

Meth’s impact on the criminal justice system is huge. Increasing amounts of taxpayer money are needed to house, feed and medicate inmates incarcerated for meth crimes. In one Tennessee county, between $5,000 and $7,000 is spent monthly on medications for inmates, three-fourths of whom have been arrested on meth-related charges.