Some 18 million Americans abuse or are addicted to alcohol. Tobacco causes 400,000 deaths each year, killing more people than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car crashes, suicides, and fires combined. And nearly half of all Americans say they know someone with a drug problem.
The toll of substance abuse can be measured in lost lives and dollars spent dealing with its effects. Each year there are more deaths and disabilities from substance abuse than from any other preventable cause. Of 2 million US deaths each year, one in four is attributable to alcohol, illicit drug, or tobacco use.
The cost of dealing with illicit drugs alone approaches $67 billion annually. Every man, woman and child in America pays nearly $1,000 a year to cover the costs of unnecessary health care, additional law enforcement, auto accidents, crime and lost productivity resulting from substance abuse.
For more information, see the United States Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services website.
Local Resources Alcoholics Anonymous Temecula Valley AA 951-695-1535
Al-Anon 951-507-1200
Hill Alcohol & Drug Treatment/Solutions 951-303-1230
Narcotics Anonymous Southern California Region NA
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