CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
September 10, 2003, Vol. 03-81

22 MILLION IN U.S. SUFFER FROM SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE OR ABUSE

In 2002, an estimated 22 million Americans suffered from substance dependence or abuse due to drugs, alcohol or both, according to the newest results of the Household Survey released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). There were 19.5 million Americans, 8.3 percent of the population ages 12 or older, who currently used illicit drugs, 54 million who participated in binge drinking in the previous 30 days, and 15.9 million who were heavy drinkers.

Findings from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health are available on the Web at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov

The report also includes a chapter on the Prevalence and Treatment of Mental Health Problems in the United States. This chapter presents national estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of persons aged 18 or older with serious mental illness (SMI) and of persons aged 12 or older who received treatment for mental health problems.

For mental health, the report highlights that in 2002, there were an estimated 17.5 million adults aged 18 or older with serious mental illnesses. This represents 8.3 percent of all adults. In 2002, an estimated 4.8 million youths aged 12 to 17 received treatment or counseling for emotional or behavior problems in the year prior to the interview. This represents 19.3 percent of this population. Rates of serious mental illnesses in 2002 were highest among unemployed persons (14.2 percent) and lowest among persons employed full time (7.3 percent). Adults who used illicit drugs were more than twice as likely to have serious mental illness as adults who did not use an illicit drug.

For addiction, the report highlights that 7.7 million people, 3.3 percent of the total population ages 12 and older, needed treatment for a diagnosable drug problem and 18.6 million, 7.9 per cent of the population, needed treatment for a serious alcohol problem. Only 1.4 million received specialized substance abuse treatment for an illicit drug problem and 1.5 million received treatment for alcohol problems. Over 94 percent of people with substance use disorders who did not receive treatment did not believe they needed treatment.

There were 362,000 people who recognized they needed treatment for drug abuse. Of them, there were 88,000 who tried but were unable to obtain treatment for drug abuse in 2002. There were 266,000 who tried, but could not obtain treatment for alcohol abuse.

There is no other medical condition for which we would tolerate such huge numbers unable to obtain the treatment they need, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. We need to enact President Bush's Access to Recovery Program to provide treatment to those who seek to recover from addiction and move on to a better life. That is what Recovery Month is all about.

The new 2002 Household Survey has been renamed the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey creates a new baseline with many improvements. The annual survey of approximately 70,000 people was released as part of the kick-off for the 14th annual National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) observance.

"Prevention is the key to stopping another generation from abusing drugs and alcohol," SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie said. "It is gratifying to see that fewer adolescents under age 18 are using marijuana. Now, we need to step up our prevention activities to drive the numbers down further."

There are 4 million adults who have both a substance use disorder and serious mental illness. In 2002, there were an estimated 17.5 million adults ages 18 or older with serious mental illness. This is 8.3 percent of all adults. Adults who used illicit drugs were more than twice as likely to have serious mental illness as adults who did not use an illicit drug. Among adults who used an illicit drug in the past year, 17.1 percent had serious mental illness in that year, compared to 6.9 percent of adults who did not use an illicit drug.

Among adults with serious mental illness in 2002, over 23 percent, were dependent on or abused alcohol or illicit drugs. The rate among adults without serious mental illness was only 8.2 percent. Among adults with substance dependence or abuse, 20.4 percent had serious mental illness, compared with 7 percent among adults who were not dependent on or abusing alcohol or drugs.

The survey is based on interviews with 68,126 respondents who were interviewed in their homes. This includes persons residing in dormitories or homeless shelters. The interviews represent 98 percent of the population ages 12 and older. Not included in the survey are persons in the active military, in prisons or other institutionalized populations or who are homeless.

Recovery Month is a celebration of the accomplishments of people in recovery. Since its inception, it has highlighted the strides made in substance abuse treatment. This year's theme, "Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Health" emphasizes that addiction to alcohol and drugs is a chronic, but treatable, public health problem that affects everyone in the community. Recovery Month is celebrated to promote the message of recovery, applaud the courage of people in recovery and recognize the contributions of treatment providers. More than 90 organizations and individuals partner with SAMHSA in the Recovery Month planning process.

HHS agencies -- including SAMHSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) -- play a key role in the administration's substance abuse strategy, leading the federal government's programs in drug abuse research and funding programs and campaigns aimed at prevention and treatment, particularly programs designed for youth. An HHS fact sheet with more information is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press. Other background and resources are available at the Web sites for SAMHSA (http://www.samhsa.gov), CDC (http://www.cdc.gov), NIDA (http://www.nida.nih.gov) and NIAAA (www.niaaa.nih.gov).

Findings from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health are available on the Web at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov