Impact of Addiction on A Rural Community

Impact of Addiction on A Rural Community

Partner Insight and Recommended Action Steps

Drug addiction in rural America is more than just a health issue. This is a matter of rural prosperity. A 2017 report by the White House Council of Economic Advisors estimated that the impact of the opioid crisis on the U.S. economy in just one year was more than $500 billion dollars. This crisis is impacting worker productivity, increasing healthcare demands, and putting enormous stress on already limited resources for emergency response, law enforcement, and social services. This crisis is also making economic development even more difficult for rural communities, which often struggle to attract new investment.

With that impact, rural leaders must develop the knowledge, capacity, and infrastructure to effectively deliver the resources needed to build a strong and healthy community. An effective local response will encompass resources to meet a wide range of needs at both an individual and community level, such as healthcare, public safety, workforce training, rural broadband, transportation, and economic development. Rural leaders are best positioned to meet these needs and maximize the impact of taxpayer dollars invested when they coordinate and collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions as well as Federal, State, and non-profit partners.