Drug and Alcohol Use

Goal: Reduce misuse of drugs and alcohol.

More than 20 million adults and adolescents in the United States have had a substance use disorder in the past year.1 Healthy People 2030 focuses on preventing drug and alcohol misuse and helping people with substance use disorders get the treatment they need.

Substance use disorders can involve illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or alcohol. Opioid use disorders have become especially problematic in recent years. Substance use disorders are linked to many health problems, and overdoses can lead to emergency department visits and deaths.

Effective treatments for substance use disorders are available, but very few people get the treatment they need. Strategies to prevent substance use — especially in adolescents — and help people get treatment can reduce drug and alcohol misuse, related health problems, and deaths.

Objective Status

  • 5 Target met or exceeded
  • 1 Improving
  • 11 Little or no detectable change
  • 13 Getting worse
  • 1 Baseline only
  • 6 Developmental
  • 1 Research

Learn more about objective types

References

1.

Lipari, R.N., & Van Horn, S.L. (2017). Trends in Substance Use Disorders Among Adults Aged 18 or Older. The CBHSQ Report. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28792721