A ROUGH ROAD TO RECOVERYADDICTION AS A NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS

A celebrity death enlightensThe recent tragic death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman shines an uncomfortable light on the soaring rate of heroin addiction in the United States. According to CDC data, the number of heroin users in this country has almost doubled in the past five years. There were roughly 373,000 users in 2005 and 669,000 in 2012.

But heroin is only the tip of the iceberg. More than 1 in 7 Americans over the age of 12 has an addiction.

Treatment Only 1 in 10 Americans

with an addiction receives treatment.

Compare that number to the 70-80% of people with diseases such as high blood pressure who do receive treatment.

There are many reasons that addicts do not seek out treatment

The fact that there is still a stigma attached to addiction (17.4%) and that effective treatments are neither accessible nor promoted (65.4%) are the most discouraging factors.

It does not discriminate based on race, gender, economic status, sexual orientation or age. In fact, the youth of our nation are at greatest risk.

ADDICTION IS A NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS

Drug use is highest among people in their late teens and early twenties

1 in 4 Americans who began using any addictive substance before age 18 is addicted, compared to 1 in 25 Americans who first drank, smoked or used other drugs at age 21 or older. In 2012, 23.9% of 18- to 20-

year-olds reported using an illicit drug in the past month.

How to pave a smoother road to recovery Acknowledge that addiction is a

NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS. Remove the stigma of addiction by

educating the public about its dangers as a DISEASE and its need for TREATMENT.

Make treatment ACCESSIBLE by ensuring that health coverage covers treatment costs.

Focus on on our youth and on PREVENTION.

Alexandra Oliver

February, 2014

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