Lost productivity that is attributable to substance use cost $22.4 billion in 2020, according to new Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (CSUCH) data. This cost accounts for 45.6% of the $49.1 billion in overall cost and harms of substance use in Canada in 2020, the latest for which data are available. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) recently released Cost of Substance Use on the Economic Productivity of Canadians – Findings at a Glance, a resource that highlights the cost and harms associated with lost productivity. Here are a few findings:
- Alcohol and tobacco accounted for most of the cost and harms.
- People who died under the age of 65 years accounted for almost 70% of the total lost productivity costs due to substance use.
- Opioid use is the leading cause of years of productive life lost due to substance use.
To explore this data further, visit csuch.ca. Please email the CSUCH team with questions or requests at csuch@ccsa.ca.