Alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and psychoactive medication (mis)use
are associated with a higher likelihood of developing several diseases,
(traffic) injuries and crimes. These substances reduce quality of life and
increase the health care and law enforcement costs, productivity losses,
etc. Consequently, the social and economic impact of substances on
society is substantial.
The SOCOST study estimates for the first time social costs for alcohol,
tobacco, illegal drugs and psychoactive medication in Belgium for the
year 2012. This cost-of-illness study presents the direct costs, the indirect
cost as well as the intangible costs related to substance (mis)use.
This research was commissioned by the Belgian Federal Science Policy
Office (BELSPO) in the framework of the Federal Research Programme
Drugs. Two universities cooperated: Ghent University, Institute for
International Research on Criminal Policy (IRCP) and the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER).
The research was conducted under supervision of prof. dr. Freya Vander
Laenen, prof. dr. Koen Putman, prof. dr. Lieven Pauwels, prof. dr. Wim
Hardyns and prof. dr. Lieven Annemans.