General Public
Information for the General Public
Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. It can be wrongfully assumed that drug abusers lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions. In fact, because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so. Through scientific advances, we know more about how drugs work in the brain than ever, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and lead productive lives.
Drug abuse and addiction have negative consequences for individuals and for society. Estimates of the total overall costs of substance abuse in the United States, including productivity and health- and crime-related costs, exceed $600 billion annually. This includes approximately $181 billion for illicit drugs, $193 billion for tobacco, and $235 billion for alcohol. As staggering as these numbers are, they do not fully describe the breadth of destructive public health and safety implications of drug abuse and addiction, such as family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence, and child abuse.
- How to tell if you drink too much?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Adverse Effects of Marijuana
- Marijuana’s Addictive Potential
Background Information
- Addiction is a Chronic Relapsing Disease by Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy
- Eliminate the Stigma Associated with the Diagnosis and Treatment of Drug Problems by Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy
- Addiction is a Brain Disease by Alan Leshner, MD, former Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse