Some seriously thought-provoking infographics from Treatment4Addiction show how many years your addiction can shave off your life. They hope to be persuasive enough to get you on the bandwagon to seek help for alcohol, drug or other addictions.
The statistics are quite alarming when you realize that a single day of average cigarette smoking (around 20 sticks) can take 4.6 hours away from your life, or that a night out with friends for beer can cost you 14.1 hours.
The numbers are even more shocking for users of hard drugs. A methamphetamine addict can lose 58.8 hours and a heroin addict can lose up to 68.4 hours of their lifespan just from a single day of use.
The figures translate to an average lifespan shortened by 42 years for users of those drugs.
Treatment4Addiction gathered most of their data for the infographics based on statistics and information from the CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The website's project manager, Jake Tri, explained that they wanted to determine the exact figures each drug was costing people.
"The initial inspiration for this project was from hearing a statement many of us have come across in passing ... Something like 'Smoking one cigarette takes away 10 minutes of your life.' We then wondered about other drugs and applied the same methodology using statistics from several reputable sources," he said.
The infographics have been made available for distribution as part of the website's goal to enable addicts to seek help. The online resources offer the best information possible and also proper treatment for substance abuse.
The numbers are meant to shock and disturb people enough to be shaken to take the necessary steps needed to quit smoking, drinking beer, and most importantly doing drugs.
When you think about the average meth addict dying at 38 years old, it certainly can give you chills.
