They spent all the money they could on getting more drugs, funding their addiction and causing their family to fail. They can easily spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars fueling their drug addiction in just one day or one short binge. Their drug addiction may be so severe that they are no longer able to function at work, causing them to lose their job. This creates a greater burden on the spouse or partner as they are then required to provide and care exclusively for the rest of the family, as well as the addict. Too many families have been faced with the decision of bankruptcy, foreclosure, loss of life savings, or retirement savings due to their loved one's addiction. It's much worse for poor people, because usually the cost of the substance could be worth what they earn. It can also cause problems with the law costing hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars. In the article (Financial and Legal Consequences of Drug Abuse)” The government regulates addictive substances in an effort to reduce access to harmful drugs and preserve the health of its people. More than 46% – nearly half – of federal arrests in the United States are drug-related. An arrest like this very often leads to long terms in prison, probation, and a host of legal consequences that follow you permanently for life”.