Cost Analysis of Public Drug Screening in the Country of Georgia

What is it about?

This study employed cost analysis methodology to calculate annual direct material and labor costs associated with carrying out Georgia’s street level drug testing policy. These costs encompassed law enforcement, drug testing, associated judicial processes, imprisonment and income offset through fines collected during the two years covered in this study (2008 and 2014). In addition, we measured: fidelity of the execution of the policy measured by the accuracy of the percentage of people detained who were found to actually have used drugs; and the policy’s effectiveness in deterring drug use among those who tested positive.

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Why is it important?

The methodology used in this research can be replicated to examine the costs and effectiveness of any number of drug policies. Our research found that despite the clear evidence of the ineffectiveness of the the policy, the number of people tested on the streets continues to increase in cost and scope. As is often the case with drug policies they serve as political or social control proxies rather than achieving public health and safety objectives.

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