Substance misuse is a serious public health challenge. It includes the use of illegal drugs and the inappropriate use of legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco.
Whether through overindulgence in alcohol, misuse of prescription medication, or use of illegal drugs, such misuse is harmful to our health. More than 15,000 people died from overdoses of prescription opioids in 2015 alone. And 88,000 people die each year from alcohol-related injuries, the third most common preventable cause of death in the United States.
Substance misuse also harms our economy. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates it costs the United States $232 billion in health care costs and $740 billion overall. A Healthy People 2020 goal is to "."
Find out more about our work on this topic.
APHA Resources
Read more about prescription drug overdose.
Join or learn more about 探花app's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section.
See how Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington are regulating legal, non-medial cannabis use (PDF).
Learn how APHA is supporting the public health field in adapting to legal, non-medical cannabis (PDF).
Additional Resources
(Purdue University Global)
(with links to consumer education)