Combating Drug Abuse

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Statistics

Polls show that more than half of Americans strongly believe that drug treatment should be more available.¹
A study of 81 G-rated animated features from 1937 to 2000 found that nearly half show characters using alcohol or tobacco — sometimes to excess.²
In 1998, the tobacco industry spent more than $6 billion on advertising and product promotion.¹
Even though two-thirds of the federal drug control budget goes for law enforcement and interdiction, the flow of illicit drugs into the United States remains high.¹
Public awareness campaigns are used by community-based groups as a way to increase knowledge about and change community attitudes toward substance abuse.
At 30% of the retail price, on average, the U.S. cigarette tax is one of the lowest in the developed world. Increasing tobacco taxes would cut tobacco use.¹
All states now have legal intoxication levels of 0.02 or less for drivers under age 21—far below the 0.08 or 0.10 levels required for people 21 and older. In Texas, ANY detectable level of alcohol in a driver under age 21 is considered driving under the influence.
Although it is illegal to sell and distribute tobacco products to youth under age 18, most underage smokers are able to buy tobacco products.¹
More than 18 million alcohol abusers and 5 million illicit drug abusers need treatment, but only a small number receive it.¹
The improvement rate for people completing substance abuse treatment is comparable to that of people treated for asthma and other chronic, relapsing health conditions.¹
Most of the 47 million American adults who currently smoke would like to quit, but few smokers are counseled by their doctors about quitting.¹

¹ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
² Harvard School of Public Health