This Surgeon General's Report has been created because of the important health and social problems associated with alcohol and drug misuse in America. As described in this Report, a comprehensive approach is needed to address substance use problems in the United States that includes several key components:
Enhanced public education to improve awareness about substance use problems and demand for more effective policies and practices to address them;
Widespread implementation of evidence-based prevention policies and programs to prevent substance misuse and related harms;
Improved access to evidence-based treatment services, integrated with mainstream health care, for those at risk for or affected by substance use disorders;
Recovery support services (RSS) to assist individuals in maintaining remission and preventing relapse; and
Research-informed public policies and financing strategies to ensure that substance misuse and use disorder services are accessible, compassionate, efficient, and sustainable.
These strategies have the potential to substantially reduce substance misuse and related problems; promote early intervention for substance misuse and substance use disorders; and improve the availability of high-quality treatment and RSS for persons with substance use disorders.
Funding for this initiative was made possible by grant no. 1H79TI083022 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
