This document, baptized Facing addiction in America, is the first to discuss all drugs, including legal prescription pain relievers, alcohol and illicit substances, instead of focusing on just one, as the 1964 federal report on smoking did.
The report tells us that last year, more than 27 million Americans aged 12 and older used illegal drugs or abused prescription drugs. Also, over 66 million, or one in five, reported excessive drug or alcohol use in the past month. Note: Alcohol abuse contributes to 88,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Another revelation: in 2014, 47,055 deaths were due to drug overdose. Of these, 28,647 were caused by opioids, pain relievers and heroin. More people use prescribed opioids (38%) than all tobacco products combined (31%).
20.8 million drug addicts in the USA
About 20.8 million people are said to have substance abuse disorders. This is the equivalent of the number of people who have diabetes, and 1.5 times the number of people who have cancer. Substance abuse disorders cost the country more than $ 420 billion a year. And those numbers don’t even include the millions of people who use substance abuse, but have yet to develop a full-blown addiction.
The report states that 40% of people who have a substance abuse problem also have a mental health problem. “It is such a stigmatized disease that it prevents people from speaking openly. And it causes people to hide, which helps them maintain their Dependencies.
Invest in research to prevent and treat drug problems
“This clearly demonstrates the need for more investment in scientific research to expand the evidence base for effective prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders,” said the doctor. Richard N. Rosenthal.
The document does not offer a clear solution, but suggests raising awareness, calling on the country to direct money towards treatment and prevention programs and to make the public and healthcare professionals more sensitive to those. who fight drug addiction. This includes the provision of substance abuse treatment in more traditional primary care settings. Someone too embarrassed to walk into an addiction clinic might be more comfortable visiting a standard hospital that also provides a treatment program.
Doctors want to reach children too, as more research shows that abusive behavior takes root early in brain development. People who started drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become addicted than those who take their first sip at 20. And nearly 70% of those who try one. illegal drug before the age of 13 develop a substance use disorder in seven years, 27% of whom experienced it for the first time at age 17.
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