What is a social cost of drug abuse?

• A. Damage to relationships
• B. Economic growth
• C. Improved crime rate
• D. Personal satisfaction

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is that social costs are harms that affect other people and society, not just the person using drugs. Damage to relationships is a clear social cost because it harms family and friends, disrupts support networks, and weakens the social fabric of communities. When trust and connections break down, the ripple effects touch schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods, showing why this is a societal burden.

The other ideas don’t fit as social costs in the same way. Economic growth describes a broad economic outcome rather than a direct harm to others; drug abuse can slow growth, but that isn’t what we label a social cost in this context. An improved crime rate would be a positive change, not a cost, and in many cases drug abuse is linked to higher crime, so it wouldn’t be considered a social cost. Personal satisfaction is an individual experience, not a societal harm.