TREATMENT WORKS!
* Studies in various states found that $1 invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7 in future costs;(1). that $1 invested in treatment could save $11.54 in combined medical and social costs; (2). for every $1 spent on substance abuse treatment $5.60 was returned in reduced welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, crime courts, and imprisonment (3).

* A comparison study of drug use one year before admission to treatment and one year following discharge from substance abuse treatment shows that: client's use of their primary drug decreased from 72.8% to 37.7%; crack use decreased from 50.4% to 24.8% one year after treatment; cocaine use decreased by more than one-half from 39.5% before treatment to 17.8% one year after treatment; heroin use decreased from 23.6% to 12.6%. The before/after differences for all categories were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. (4).

* California spent $209 million on substance abuse treatment for 150,000 people. Benefits received during treatment and in the first year after treatment were approximately $1.4 billion in savings to taxpayers, due mostly to reductions in crime. The average per-person annual medical bills dropped from $3,227 to $2,469, emergency room visits were cut by 38% and hospital admissions were cut by 33%. (5).

* Results from a CSAT funded treatment evaluation shows that:
* Crack use decreased by 85% during treatment and after one year of  treatment remained down by 60%; 
* Cocaine use decreased by 62% during treatment and after one year  of treatment remained down by 42%; 
* Heroin use decreased by 40% during treatment and after one year of  treatment remained down by 45%; 
* Marijuana use decreased by 73% during treatment and after one year  of treatment remained down by 41%; 
* Alcohol use decreased by 67% during treatment and after one year of treatment remained down by 25%. (6).

References:
1. Evaluating Recovery Services: The California Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment (CALDATA) General Report. California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Sacramento, CA., 1994.
2. Tabbush, V. "The effectiveness and efficiency of publicly funded drug abuse treatment and prevention programs in California: A benefit-cost analysis." UCLA, March 1986.
3. Turnure, Cynthia. "The change role of State alcohol and drug agencies in State health care reform." CSAT TIE Communique, Spring 1995. 
4. National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1996.
5. Evaluating Recovery Services: The California Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment (CALDATA) General Report. California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Sacramento, CA., 1994.
6. National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1995.
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