Numbers of People Aged 12 or Older with a Past Year Substance Use Disorder:
2016

Note: Estimated numbers of people refer to people aged 12 or older in the civilian, non-institutionalized population in the United States. The numbers do not sum to the total population of the United States because the population for NSDUH does not include people aged 11 years old or younger, people with no fixed household address (e.g., homeless or transient people not in shelters), active-duty military personnel, and residents of institutional group quarters, such as correctional facilities, nursing homes, mental institutions, and long-term care hospitals.
Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year among People Aged 12 or Older, by Age Group:
2016

OPIOID USE DISORDER
Opioids are a group of chemically similar drugs that include heroin and prescription pain relievers such as hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin®), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin®), and morphine.
Symptoms of opioid use disorders include strong desire for opioids, inability to control or reduce use, continued use despite interference with major obligations or social functioning, use of larger amounts over time, development of tolerance, spending a great deal of time to obtain and use opioids, and withdrawal symptoms that occur after stopping or reducing use, such as negative mood, nausea or vomiting, muscle aches, diarrhea, fever, and insomnia. (5)
(5) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Substance Use Disorders, http://www.samhsa.gov/disorders/substance-use (last visited November 20, 2017).

In 2014, over 240 million prescriptions were written for prescription opioids—a number that has tripled over the last ten years. The unprecedented rise and availability of prescription opioids has resulted in the rapid increase of drug overdose deaths, misuse/abuse, and addictions/dependencies. Some startling facts about the opioid epidemic from the CDC and SAMHSA include:
Main Reason for the Most Recent Prescription Pain Reliever Misuse among People Aged 12 or Older Who Misused Prescription Pain Relievers in the Past Year:
Percentages, 2016

11.5 Million People Aged 12 or Older Who Misused Prescription Pain Relievers in the Past Year.
Note: The percentages do not add to 100 percent due to rounding.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT
It’s common for a person to relapse, but relapse doesn’t mean that treatment doesn’t work. As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and should be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs. (6)
(6) National Institute on Drug Abuse, Understanding Drug Use and Addiction, http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction (last visited November 20, 2017).

WHY NOW?
(7) Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners, 2015 Annual Report, FDLE (September 2016)
(8) Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners, 2016 Annual Report, FDLE (November 2017)
(9) Palm Beach County Sober Homes Task Force Report 2017, Jan. 1, 2017, available at http://www.sa15.state.fl.us/stateattorney/SoberHomes/_content/SHTFReport2017.pdf (last visited November 20, 2017).
Comparison of drug caused deaths in Florida
2013 – 2016

Need for Substance Use Treatment in the Past Year among People Aged 12 or Older, by Age Group: 2016
In 2016, an estimated 21.0 million people aged 12 or older needed substance use treatment. Stated another way, about 1 in 13 people aged 12 or older (7.8 percent) needed substance use treatment.
