Fast Facts…

·        By 2020, behavioral health disorders will surpass all physical diseases as a major cause of disability world-wide.

·        Nearly 5,000 deaths are attributable to underage drinking each year.

·        Each year, tobacco use results in more deaths (443,000/year) than AIDS, unintentional injuries, suicide, homicide, and alcohol and drug abuse combined; almost half of these deaths occur among people with mental and substance use disorders.

·        In 2008, an estimated 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older used an illicit drug for the first time within the past 12 months; an average of 8,000 initiates per day.

·        Half of all lifetime cases of mental and substance use disorders begin by age 14 and three-fourths by age 24.

·        Adults who began drinking alcohol before age 21 were more likely to be later classified with alcohol dependence or abuse than those who had their first drink at or after age 21.

·        Over 33,300 Americans die every year as a result of suicide, approximately one every 16 minutes.

·        One estimate puts the total economic costs of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among youth in the United States at approximately $247 billion.

·        The annual total estimated societal cost of substance abuse in the Unites States is $510.8 billion.

·        In 2008, there were an estimated 9.8 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with a serious mental illness and 2 million youth aged 12 to 17 who had a major depressive episode during the past year.

·        Among persons aged 12 or older who used pain relievers non-medically in the past 12 months, 55.9 percent got them from a friend or relative for free.

Know Your Enemy...

Every year drug and alcohol abuse costs over $245 billion, causes of half a million visits to the emergency room, and kills thousands.  In this country about 14.8 million people are current users of illicit drugs, and about 8.2 million are dependent on alcohol. 

Being familiar with the names and effects of common drugs is the critical first step in preventing or reducing drug abuse.

·        Saves lives and prevents injuries

·        Helps identify substance abuse issues and facilitates treatment

·        Allows people to easily say no to illegal drug abuse. "No thanks. I get drug tested."

·        Reduces liability

·        It is a fair way of testing