|
Basic InformationMore InformationTestsLatest NewsMarijuana Use Rising Among High School Seniors: ReportIn Terms of Drinking, the Rich Are Different, Study SaysDelayed Auditory Processing Found in Fetal Alcohol SyndromeHeavy Smokers, Drinkers May Face Pancreatic Cancer Earlier in LifeDrinking, Driving Drops by Half Among Teens: CDCModerate Drinking May Increase Risk of Heart Rhythm Disorder: StudyHealth Tip: Don't Combine Medication and AlcoholWhy Some Mothers (Wrongly) Let Kids Try AlcoholDoctors Should Screen Adults for Alcohol Misuse, U.S. Panel SaysPrescription Drug Abuse Drops Among U.S. Young AdultsExtra Steps Urged to Cut Alcohol, Drug Use in Military: ReportQuitting Drinking May Help Alcoholics' Bone Loss'Doctor Shopping' Tied to Fatal Prescription Drug OverdosesHeavy Drinking Linked to Earlier StrokePot Use May Raise Risk of Testicular Cancer: StudyWomen's Brains React Differently Than Men's to Alcoholism, Study FindsHeavy Marijuana Use in Teen Years May Lower IQ LaterPrior Substance Abuse Linked to Opioid Abuse in Young MenTeens Who Drink, Smoke More Likely to Abuse Painkillers: StudyStudy Affirms Marijuana, 'Spice' Harmful in PregnancyBrain Scans May Spot Teens at Risk for Problem DrinkingBooze, Energy Drinks, Casual Sex Combo Common in College: Study'Bath Salts' Demonstrate High Potential for AbuseIllegal 'Bath Salts' Mimic Cocaine in the Brain: StudyEffects of Heavy Alcohol Exposure During Pregnancy EvaluatedHeavy Drinking in Pregnancy Linked to Host of Problems in ChildrenMom's Pot Use Doubles Risk of 'Preemie' Birth: Study'Abuse-Resistant' Oxycontin May Be Driving Addicts to HeroinTeach Prescribers About Dangers of Long-Acting Pain Meds: FDAMethadone for Pain Relief Leading Cause of Fatal Overdoses: CDCSummer Is Peak Time for Teens to Try Drugs, Alcohol: Report40 Million Americans Addicted to Cigarettes, Alcohol or Drugs1 in 10 Fibromyalgia Patients Uses Marijuana to Ease Pain Self-Help Groups |
| |
40 Million Americans Addicted to Cigarettes, Alcohol or Drugs
by -- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Updated: Jun 28th 2012
THURSDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- About 40 million Americans are addicted to cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, new research finds.
That represents about 16 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and older.
Another 80 million people -- 32 percent of the population -- are "risky" substance users, defined as using substances in a way that threatens health and safety.
Yet treatment is hard to come by, according to the study, which was released this week by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York City. Only about one in 10 people who need treatment for their addiction actually gets it.
The lack of treatment is partially because treatment for addiction is "disconnected from mainstream medicine," according to a university news release. Most health care providers are not trained to diagnose or treat addiction. As a result, less than 6 percent of referrals to treatment facilities for substance abuse come from health professionals.
Although doctors commonly screen for a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol, they rarely screen for substance abuse. They instead treat the fallout of the addiction -- injuries, unintended pregnancies, heart disease and cancers, said Drew Altman, chairman of the report's National Advisory Commission.
"This report shows that misperceptions about the disease of addiction are undermining medical care," said Altman, president of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit health-policy analysis organization.
Another issue is that many addiction-treatment providers are counselors who have little or no medical credentials, researchers said. For example, 14 states don't require licensing or certification of addiction counselors, while six states have no requirements for minimum education of counselors.
In 2010, $28 billion was spent on addiction treatment, which pales in comparison to the spending on treatment of other diseases that affect fewer people, the researchers said. For example, $44 billion was spent on treating the 26 million Americans with diabetes, and $107 billion was spent on treating the 27 million people with heart conditions.
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse provides more information on drug abuse and addiction. This article: Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. |
