The aim of this unit is to assess financial-economic losses related to drugs problem in all the fields of the phenomenon (supply reduction, treatment etc.). Results of the unit propose policy- and decision-makers, but transparency of drug-related public expenditures is of high importance for wider public as well.
Definition of social costs include all the losses and arrears of income on the level of society in general, without consideration of its segments (enterprises, householdings, public administration). Cost-efficiency, efficacy of different projects, programmes also come under social costs, for example analyses of resources for prevention and after that treatment of drug-related infectious diseases.
Drug-related public expenditures refer to identification of different sub-categories (central, local and regional authorities, health insurance) within the state budget with the help of special estimation methods. Public expenditures are examined usually in the fields of: prevention and research, law enforcement and criminal justice, health treatment, and harm reduction. Unified methodology in the European Union makes it possible to compare expenditures of different countries, or to compare proportions of different expenditure categories in the budgets of the members, in order to exchange information and improve strategic planning.
