The pursuit of happiness is a phrase penned by the American Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence. Since it has never even come close to being achieved, the American people have sought their own means.
$150 billion is spent in the USA on illegal drugs each year and a comparable amount on alcohol.
Nearly one in five people in the USA aged twelve and older (19.4%) took illegal drugs in 2018.
In 2018, an estimated 10.3 million people aged 12 or older misused opioids in the past year, including 9.9 million prescription pain reliever misusers and 808,000 heroin users. Approximately 506,000 people misused prescription pain relievers and used heroin in 2018.
19.1% or 47.6 million people in the USA had a mental illness, an emotional disorder or a behavioral one in 2018 while representing an impaired state of being so severe that it impinged upon the quality of life.
One in seven adolescents (14.4%) or 3.5 million had a major depressive episode in 2018
Amongst young adults aged 18 to twenty-five 13.8% or 4.6 million had a major depressive episode.
Concerning substance abuse treatment in 2018, “an estimated 21.2 million people aged 12 or older needed substance use treatment.
This number translates to about 1 in 13 people who needed treatment (7.8 percent). About 1 in 26 adolescents aged 12 to 17 (3.8 percent), about 1 in 7 young adults aged 18 to 25 (15.3 percent), and 1 in 14 adults aged 26 or older (7.0 percent) needed treatment.”
Drugs, Substance Abuse and Mental Issues in the USA | Countercurrents
No comments:
Post a Comment