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Substance Abuse: Findings from the PRC National Health Survey

February 13, 2019

In an effort to better inform the public about substance abuse’s impact on community health, PRC’s latest National Health Survey includes crucial community data about alcohol and drugs. In addition to the direct health impact for individuals, substance abuse negatively impacts local health in a number of ways, including, but not limited to: community and family violence, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy, motor vehicle crashes and other accidental injury, and suicide.

The survey revealed that just over half of US adults use alcohol, while the CDC reports that drug overdose deaths have tripled since 2000. Despite this, just 3 percent of US adults have sought professional help for an alcohol or drug problem at some point in their lives. However, a much higher 37.3% report that they have been personally, directly, and negatively impacted by either their own substance abuse or that of someone they are close to. For more information about the impact of substance abuse on community health, download the brief below.