Drug abuse treatment is cost effective, reducing associated health and societal costs. Drug abuse treatment is less expensive than alternatives, such as not treating addicts or incarcerating them. For example, the average cost for 1 full year of methadone maintenance treatment is approximately $4,700 per patient, whereas 1 full year of imprisonment costs approximately $18,400 per person. According to several conservative estimates, every $1 invested in addiction treatment programs yields up to $7 in savings, much of which results from reduced drug-related crime and criminal justice costs.