For too many years, we have treated addiction as a moral failure—an approach that has left people without sufficient support, led to tragically high numbers of overdoses, and hurt families, friendships and entire communities.
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General
Understanding the Opioid Epidemic
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 102,429 people died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending in July 2022.
According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2021, 46.3 million people 12 or older met the criteria for having a substance use disorder (SUD), including 29.5 million people who were classified as having an alcohol use disorder and 24 million people who were classified as having a drug use disorder.
Additionally, 9.2 million people 12 or older misused opioids in the past year. The percentage of people who were classified as having an SUD is higher among young adults ages 18 to 25, compared with adults 26 or older.
In 2021, 94 percent of people 12 or older with a substance use disorder did not receive any treatment. Nearly all people with an SUD who did not get treatment at a specialty facility did not think they needed treatment.
