The economic toll of the opioid addiction and overdose crisis in the U.S. reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020, according to a report from Congress’s Joint Economic Committee. The report, which adapted a method used by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists and adjusted for inflation, found that the crisis cost the U.S. economy $1.47 trillion in 2020, a $487 billion increase from 2019 and a 37% increase from 2017, when the CDC last measured the cost.
Opioid addiction and overdose are now the leading causes of death in the U.S. In 2020, opioid overdoses killed more than 50,000 Americans, more than twice as many as died from HIV/Aids at the height of the pandemic in 1995.
To address the opioid crisis, Congress has enacted a series of legislated measures to expand access to mental health services, increase funding for treatment programs, and reduce drug trafficking and abuse. However, much work remains to be done to address this epidemic.
Keith is a retired Police Sergeant, working his entire 29 year career in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keith is a recipient of the prestigious California’s Narcotics Officer of the Year Award and is a prior winner of MADD’s California Hero Award. He has years of experience as a Narcotics Detective and a Narcotics Unit Supervisor and is a Drug Recognition Expert Instructor (IACP #3292). Keith has developed several courses for the Department of Defense, California Narcotics Officers Association, and California POST, and numerous police agencies and private corporations.
Keith has held other assignments besides narcotics including Training Sergeant, Patrol Sergeant, COPPS Officer, Traffic Officer, and 20 years as a SWAT Team member and Sniper Team Leader. Keith has taught thousands of officers and businesses around the world about drug use, drug trends, compliance training and drug investigations. Keith is also the founder of Christian Warrior Training, where he provides free resources and training to church security ministries. He is recognized as an international drug expert and has testified as an expert in court proceedings on drug cases, homicide cases and rape prosecutions. Keith earned a BA in Business Management from Saint Mary’s College of California and a MA in Criminal Justice. Keith is the Founder and President of Graves & Associates, a company dedicated to providing drug training to law enforcement, the Department of Defense, and private industry internationally. You can follow Keith on social media on Facebook (DopeCop and DrugEnforcementCops), twitter (DopeCop) and Instagram (DrugEnforcementCops).
