Family Connections: Substance Use Disorder 101 – What It Is, What It Isn’t

Sponsor: National Family Support TAC

Family Connections is back to basics again on Thursday, June 5th when we discuss Substance Use Disorder (SUD), and its stages from experimentation, to progression, to disorder.

SUD includes a wide range of drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines, or prescription opioids that are considered risks. However, it also encompasses a wider range of substances which may surprise you, such as alcohol, tobacco, inhalants, and prescription medications.

The most recentNational Survey on Drug Use and Health(NSDUH) found that in 2023, 48.5 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.1%) surveyed had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the previous year, including 28.9 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD) , and 7.5 million people who had both.

The percentage of people aged 12 or older with an SUD in the previous year was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (27.1% or 9.2 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (16.6% or 37.0 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (8.5% or 2.2 million people).

When people were asked what substances they had used in the previous month, 59% of those surveyed aged 12 or older in 2023 (or 167.2 million people) used tobacco products, vaped nicotine, used alcohol, or used an illicit drug in the previous month (also defined as “current use”.)

This issue affects millions of people from all walks of life – including families and caregivers. We’ll also discuss the unique challenges that face families and caregivers and how to access support.

For more information and to register click here

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