Objectives: Methamphetamine (meth) use results in various costs accruing to the
meth user, society, and government. Internal and external costs of the pandemic are
widespread, affecting the healthcare and social welfare systems, policing, private
security, and the judicial and corrective services system. This study quantifies these
costs for the Western Cape; identifying the magnitude of the cost of illness and
additional social costs by category and determines which interventions are likely to
reduce these overall costs.
Methods: This study used a combination of a top-down and a bottom-up approach for
the costing of various categories. The meth prevalence rate used was derived from the
number of primary meth users who sought meth treatment in 2013 as reported to
SACENDU. Additional data on expenditure and costs were obtained from government
annual reports, personal interviews and data from previous studies.