Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a substance, legal or illegal, leading to effects that are harmful to an individual's physical health, mental health, and/or the welfare of others. There are many government, private and religious organizations that provide assistance to people with substance abuse problems.
The National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service provides a toll-free telephone number for alcohol and drug information/treatment referral assistance. The number is 1.800.662.HELP (1.800.662.4357). Through this service you can speak directly to a representative concerning substance abuse treatment, request printed material on alcohol or other drugs, or obtain local substance abuse treatment referral information in your state.
Substance Abuse Resources
For more information, please visit the following links:
- Descriptions of drugs that are commonly abused can be found on both the drug information web page from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the drugs of abuse web page from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) .
- Information on substance abuse for teenagers can be found on the NIDA for Teens website .
- NIDA also offers answers to frequently asked questions about drug abuse .
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides an online treatment facility locator where you can find a detox, rehabilitation, halfway house, clinic, or counseling center anywhere in the United States for both alcoholism and drug addiction.
- The Office of National Drug Control Policy establishes policies, priorities, and objectives for the nation's drug control program.
- MedlinePlus: Substance Abuse Topic Problems provides links to a wide range of substance abuse resources.
- A Guide to Safe Use of Pain Medicine is a web page from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about how to avoid becoming addicted to pain medication.
- Dontserveteens.gov is a website created and maintained by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) . On this website, parents will find tools and information to help reduce teen drinking and related harm.
- Rethinking Drinking is a website offered by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) that offers information about alcohol abuse as well as tips and strategies to help citizens cut down on alcohol consumption.
Employers
If you are an employer seeking information on workplace substance abuse issues, you can visit the Substance Abuse Information Database (SAID) from the Department of Labor (DOL) . SAID provides information about and access to hundreds of documents and resources that may assist employers and others to learn about workplace substance abuse issues and develop drug-free workplace programs, such as Working Partners at Work and the Drug-Free Workplace Advisor .
Health Observances:
- April is Alcohol Awareness Month , designated to help raise awareness about the serious problem of alcohol abuse.
- National D.A.R.E. Day was celebrated on April 8, 2009.
- September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, sponsored by SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) . For more information, please visit RecoveryMonth.gov .
- October 19-25, 2009, was Drug-Free Work Week , a time dedicated each year to highlighting the benefits that drug-free workplace programs bring to employers, workers and communities.
Additional Resources: