Drugs are expensive. Buying them is expensive, of course. But there are so many costs related to drugs.
For one, what happens if police pull you over for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or a specific drug? You might face jail time. You’ll probably also be paying a lot of money in the future.
You might have to pay bail to get out of prison. You might face fines. You might face court fees, or legal fees if you have to hire a lawyer to defend you in any lawsuits stemming from your arrest. You might have to pay for an ignition interlock device (IID) for your car. An IID is a device more commonly known as a breathalyzer and it’s used to record the levels of drugs or alcohol in your system.
An IID can cost you in many ways. For one, you’ll typically have to pay to have the device installed. You then have to pay to lease it monthly. If the device detects drugs or alcohol, you could face additional punishments (and costs). It’s the device that keeps on taking, not giving.
All of these costs can pale in comparison to the charges you could face if you’ve been involved in a drug- or alcohol-related accident. You might have to pay damages if this accident hurts people or damages vehicles. You might have to pay higher insurance premiums. You might have to pay to repair your vehicle as well.
These scenarios all assume that you will still have your driver’s license after a DUI/DWI. That doesn’t always happen. Not having steady transportation could incur its own costs. If you don’t have transportation, you might not be able to commute to work. (This assumes, that you didn’t lose your job when you received the DWI/DUI in the first place.) No job = no money, and a host of financial problems could ensue.
People might argue that rehab isn’t cheap, either. But isn’t a one- or two-time expenditure more cost-effective than a lifetime of other payments? After all, not seeking treatment could lead to the ultimate cost—your life.
