Alcohol and drug misuse and related disorders are major public health challenges that are taking an enormous toll on our society. Recently more than 27 million people in the United States reported that they are using illicit drugs or misusing prescription drugs, and nearly a quarter of adults and adolescents reported binge drinking in the past month. The annual economic impact of substance misuse is estimated to be $249 billion for alcohol misuse and $193 billion for illicit drug use.
The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—have become common chronic illnesses in the U.S. Although there are effective treatments for opioid use disorder, only about one in four people with this disorder receive any type of specialty treatment.
Mitigating the opioid and substance abuse epidemics ravaging our country is a major priority of the Surgeon General. The Surgeon General is also championing efforts to prevent drug use, overdose, and addiction infectious disease, and more fully leverage public health, business, law enforcement, and community resources to address these issues head on.
Read the publications below to learn in detail what the Surgeon General is doing about addiction in America.
