Society pays a steep cost for alcoholism and its effects
A 2002
study by the County of San Diego put the local cost of
alcohol and drug use at $3.8 billion a year. Nationwide, the
cost of alcoholism and drug addiction has been estimated at
about $500 billion a year.
Funds are
diminishing each year because of budget cutbacks.
Currently,
Pathfinders seeks to raise $300,000. All donations to
Pathfinders of San Diego, Inc. are tax-deductible.
As a
social-model recovery program, Pathfinders strives to be as
cost-effective as possible — both for the residents admitted
to the program and to local taxpayers. Social-model
recovery, which only requires a minimum of paid staff, costs
a fraction of medically based programs.
The
average cost-per-day for a Pathfinders resident is $35; the
average inpatient cost at a medical facility is $265 per
day. Pathfinders — as is the case with most medical
facilities — does not accept insurance.
About half
of Pathfinders’ revenue comes from an annual county grant,
and the remainder comes from tax-free donations and
residents’ fees.
How You Can Help
Pathfinders needs your help to achieve its very important
fund-raising goal and to continue to operate its existing
recovery homes — as well as to plan for much needed
expansion.
National
and local studies have shown that for every $1 spent on
recovery and treatment services for alcoholics, there is a
$7 savings in health care, law enforcement, welfare and
other taxpayer costs. Please make your tax-deductible
donation to the organization today. You do make a difference
in men's lives and in the lives of those they touch. |
