cover image: A cost-benefit analysis of a Canadian managed alcohol program

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A cost-benefit analysis of a Canadian managed alcohol program

2 May 2016

Second, the cost of health, social, and legal service utilization and program participation for MAP recipients is compared to the cost of service utilization for the control group. [...] When factoring in the social costs of homelessness, it is estimated that there is a saving of between $1.09 and $1.21 for every dollar invested in treatment due to significant reductions in the frequency of health, social, and legal service utilization by treatment recipients in comparison to prior to program entry and a control group. [...] The aim of the program is to reduce the occurrence of alcohol-related harms and to alleviate demand placed on community service providers, including police and emergency responders, by providing participants with access to adequate housing and a maintenance dose of beverage alcohol, administered in a supervised setting, to replace dangerous patterns of episodic, very heavy drinking, and non-bevera [...] Social costs include costs associated with the utilization of emergency shelter, detoxification, inpatient, ED, and police detention services and the provision of treatment to MAP participants minus the costs of program evaluation and spirits1. [...] Another limitation is that individuals in the control group participants were selected specifically because of their greater likelihood of remaining in Thunder Bay for the duration of the study period to facilitate the collection of administrative data and follow-up assessments.
cost-benefit analysis alcoholism alcohol-related disorders harm reduction

Authors

Hammond, Kendall, Gagné, Lynda, Pauly, Bernie, Stockwell, Tim

Pages
24
Published in
Ottawa, Ontario

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