Current Statistics
Facts on Adults and Alcohol/Drug Use
- In 2004, approximately 22.5 million Americans aged 12 or older needed treatment for substance abuse and addiction (alcohol or illicit drugs). Of these, only 3.8 million people received it.2
- 71% percent of illegal drug users are employed.3
- Alcoholism causes 500 million lost workdays each year.2
- In adults 50 years and older, alcohol was the most frequently reported primary substance of abuse for all substance abuse treatment admissions. Of those admissions, 76% of the population were 65 and older.3
- Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. In 2003, more than 25 million Americans (over 10% of the population) used marijuana.4
Facts on Adolescents and Alcohol/Drug Use
- SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that about 510,000 youth aged 12 to 17 (2%) used stimulants (including methamphetamines) non-medically in the past year in 2006.6
- According to The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2006 about 3.1 million persons aged 12 to 25 (5.3%) had reported using over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medication to get high for non-medical reasons, and nearly 1 million persons aged 12 to 25 (1.7%) had used an over-the-counter cough and cold medication to get high in the past year.6
- In a Monitoring the Future Study, 66.5% of high school seniors reported drinking alcohol and 31.5% reported using marijuana in the last 12 months.6
- Drug use during adolescence is linked to several adverse outcomes, such as poor academic performance, violence and depression.6
- Young people will consume an average of five alcoholic beverages prior to driving.4
Facts on Relapse and Recovery
- Relapse rates for addictive diseases usually are in the range of 50% to 90%; however, these rates vary by definition of relapse, severity of addiction, which drug of addiction, length of treatment, and elapsed time from treatment discharge to assessment, as well as other factors.5
- Alcohol/drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder.5 Although craving has been implicated in the relapse process, its role is controversial in the literature.7
- Studies show that women in treatment relapse less frequently than men, partly because women are more likely to engage in group counseling.8
- Gender differences in relapse factors suggest that different relapse prevention strategies should be used between men and women.9
- Precipitants to relapse can include anger, frustration, stress, positive emotional states, overconfidence, psychiatric co-morbidity, severity of addiction and social pressures in environment.10
- Relapse rates from addiction (40 to 60%) can be compared to those suffering from other chronic illnesses such as Type I diabetes (30 - 50%), Hypertension (50-70%) and asthma (50 to 70%). Drug addiction should be treated like any other chronic illness, with relapse indicating the need for renewed intervention.11
- In recovery from addiction, it is important to change one's lifestyle to include maintaining abstinence; involving oneself in healthy relationships; getting good nutrition, rest and exercise; and working to resolve one's personal problems. 12 This can be maintained by ongoing counseling sessions and 12-Step recovery programs.
- In a study of over 1,800 alcohol-dependent men and women (Schuckit, M.A. et al), abstainers were more likely than those who relapsed to have received treatment and to have attended Alcoholics, Narcotics, or Cocaine Anonymous meetings.13
- A major outcomes study with 10,000 patients in both in-patient and outpatient treatment (Hoffman & Miller) found that 90% of patients attending AA meetings at least weekly and participating in aftercare for one year were able to abstain from the use of any alcohol at all during that year.14
- Addiction need not be a life sentence. Like other chronic diseases, it can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction's powerful effects on the brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.15
In addition to the recent statistics listed throughout this page, you may find that the following websites contain current statistics regarding addiction and mental health:
- http://www.casacolumbia.org/
- http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
- http://www.nida.nih.gov/
- http://www.samhsa.gov/
- http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/
2 - National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2004. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Infofacts.
3 - Working Partners for an Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace. Workplace Substance Abuse. 8/01.
3 - SAMHSA. National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2006.
4 - The NSDUH Report: Daily Marijuana Users (11/26/04). Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
4 - Monitoring the Future. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA. 2006.
5 - Adolescent Illicit Drug Use-Understanding and Addressing the Problem. (2005).
6 - National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2006. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Infofacts
7 - National Survey of drinking and driving attitudes and behaviors. 2003. TrafficTech. 280, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Caron Treatment Centers. 2003. Relapse & Recovery: Behavioral Strategies for Change. P. 6.
Hanson, G. R.. 2002. New insights into relapse. NIDA Notes. 17:3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
10Gordon, S. M., Sterling, R., Siatkowski, C., Raively, K., Weinstein, S., & Hill, P. C. 2006. Inpatient desire to drink as a predictor of relapse to alcohol use following treatment. The American
Journal on Addictions, 15, 242-245.
11Stocker, S. Men and women in drug abuse treatment relaspse at different rates and for different reasons. NIDA Notes. 13:4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ibid.
12Caron Treatment Centers. 2003. Relapse & Recovery: Behavioral Strategies for Change. P. 15-17.
13McLellan, et al., 2000. Comparison of relapse rates between drug addiction and other chronic illnesses (pie chart). JAMA, 284, 1689-1695.
14NIDA. Advanced recovery. Treatment manuals. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Naitonal Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Caron Treatment Centers. 2003. Relapse & Recovery: Behavioral Strategies for Change. P. 18.
Treatment and Recovery. (2001).NIDA. The Journal of Neuroscience, 21, 23: 9414-9418.
