Overview of Substance Abuse Treatment

Drug abuse is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes an individual to seek out and use drugs despite the negative consequences. In 2006, an estimated 20.4 million Americans aged 12 or older were current illicit drug users (NIDA, 2008). Drug addiction is a major public health problem that impacts all of society including the medical, social, criminal, and economic aspects. Annually, abuse and addiction to alcohol, nicotine, and illegal substances costs Americans a half trillion dollars and contributes to the death of more than 100,000 Americans. Tobacco alone causes an estimated 440,000 deaths per year (NIDA, 2008). Drug addiction is a costly public health problem that often requires intervention and treatment in order to help affected individuals break their ties to addiction. This paper explores the various causes of drug abuse and compares the effectiveness of treatment options that are available to addicts. Studies of treatment options are also examined, most of which indicate that programs that address all of the aspects of drug abuse, mental, social and economic problems, will result in the best chance of recovery.Master of Public Healt