Here is the American economy

The graph from Barry Ritholtz.

The R squared is 44%, or 44% of the non-participation is due to drug addiction.   There is overlap as a lot of these addicts are also meth addicted. 


The cost to even have a chance at cure is about 50k per addict in rehab and life rebuilding.  The solution is to let them die young and replacethem with wealthy overseas immigrant.