Earlier this month, the surgeon general released a report on the state of alcohol, drugs, and health in the U.S. “Facing Addiction in America” is the first report of its kind, and one of its primary objectives is to change public perception of addiction.
As Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy wrote, "For far too long, too many in our country have viewed addiction as a moral failing. This unfortunate stigma has created an added burden of shame that has made people with substance use disorders less likely to come forward and seek help."
According to the report, 27 million people reported either illicit drug use or prescription pill misuse in 2015. Another 66 million people reported binge drinking. Alcohol misuse accounts for 88,000 deaths per year, and the surgeon general attributes our relatively low global ranking of 27th in life expectancy to substance misuse and its associated physical and mental health problems.
Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, director of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, says that the sheer magnitude of the health crisis should encourage people to reconsider their perceptions.
[For more of this story, written by Sarah Schroeder, go to https://www.texastribune.org/2...erception-addiction/]
Comments (0)