Tens of millions of Americans are addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco and other substances, including most notoriously, opioids. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug, followed by tobacco and marijuana, though illicit drug use poses equally challenging health threats.
In 2021, among people aged 12 or older, more than 61 million people used illicit drugs in the past year. More than 46 million met the diagnostic criteria for having a substance abuse disorder. Nearly 108,000 persons in the U.S. died from a drug-involved overdose in 2022, primarily from opioids.
Addiction is a form of brain disease. It involves the uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequences. Repeated substance use can cause changes in how the brain functions, resulting in distorted thinking and behaviors, among them suicide ideation. Substance abuse disorder is sometimes linked to other mental health disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
Addiction
Research at Sanford Burnham Prebys
Experts Available
Nicholas Cosford PhD
Michael Jackson PhD
Douglas Sheffler PhD
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