Often folks turn to substances to mask emotions they may need to cope with holistically. For many, access to substances to manage mental health sober house or pain symptoms may be easier than accessing healthcare services. Our goal is to focus on preventing the possibility of unhealthy outcomes and behaviors that can push substance use into misuse or addiction. Perhaps you’ve long used prescription meds to manage a chronic condition or you’re prescribed pain medication after surgery.
- Moreover, the majority of adults who have a substance use disorder started using substances during their teen and young adult years.
- Opioids—mainly synthetic opioids like illegally made fentanyl–are currently the most represented in overdose deaths.
- Often during this period, children are exposed to substances such as cigarettes and alcohol for the first time.
- Ways to prevent opioid overdose are to improve opioid prescribing, reduce exposure to opioids, prevent illegal opioid use and prescription opioid misuse, and treat opioid use disorder.
- These pills are dangerous because they typically appear as pharmaceutical pills but often contain illegally made fentanyl and illegal benzodiazepines or other drugs, with or without people’s knowledge.
- You could even use some drugs socially or recreationally to help calm your mood.
Safer Drug Use Means Being Prepared
It is important that more is done to prevent overdoses and deaths. Prevention activities help educate and support individuals, families, and communities and are critical https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ for maintaining both individual and community health. Access to safe supplies and sterile syringes reduces the risk of contracting infectious diseases from injecting drugs. There are over 400 syringe service programs (SSPs) in the U.S.
- If you take daily oral PrEP, you’ll need to see a health care provider every 3 months for repeat HIV tests, prescription refills, and follow-up.
- We offer basic information about drug use and safer-use tips for people who use drugs and providers to get on the same page.
- A 2017 study explained family conflict is one of the primary causes for substance use in young folks.
- You can always reach out to a mental health professional, or attend a local or online support group with individuals who are navigating similar thoughts and feelings.
- Some people use drugs to feel pleasurable, stimulating, or relaxing effects.
How can substance use and substance use disorders be prevented?
Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. If you aren’t sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose—you could save a life. Administer naloxone or another opioid overdose reversal medication (if available) and then call 911.
While many people try drugs at some point in their lives and even continue to use them, only some people develop substance use disorders. No single factor determines whether a person will develop a substance use disorder. These chronic but treatable health conditions arise from the interplay of many different individual and societal factors across a person’s life1. One way CDC is working to address drug overdoses is to advance overdose prevention in communities across the country.
Why is adolescence a critical time for preventing drug addiction?
We recognize that using drugs introduces risk – but there are ways to make it safer. People can reduce their risk of HIV, hepatitis C, overdose, and other drug-related harms by applying evidence-based harm reduction strategies around safer drug use. Yet some youth are at increased risk for behaviors that can lead to poor health outcomes, such as high-risk substance use. Moreover, the majority of adults who have a substance use disorder started using substances during their teen and young adult years. A recent study among 29 states and the District of Columbia showed the percentage of overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills more than doubled from July 2019 to December 2021, and more than tripled in the Western United States. These pills are dangerous because they typically appear as pharmaceutical pills but often contain illegally made fentanyl and illegal benzodiazepines or other drugs, with or without people’s knowledge.
Community Factors
Addiction is not a formal diagnosis, and the term is used in many ways. Some people use the term to describe some substance use disorders, especially more serious presentations. OUD significantly contributes to overdose deaths among people who use illegal opioids or misuse prescription opioids. Opioids—mainly synthetic opioids like illegally made fentanyl–are currently the most represented in overdose deaths.
Here are some guides we’ve put together to help you make safe choices. Explore our resource library for practical resources to promote the health and dignity of people affected by drug use. You’ll find up-to-date fact sheets, webinars, manuals, training guides, and more. Prevention and early intervention strategies can reduce the impact of substance use in America’s communities. Efforts must continue to prevent drug use and addiction, prevent overdose, increase access to treatment, and leverage…
Safer drug use is about lessening the risk of adverse outcomes from using drugs. There are many reasons someone may be using drugs – and there are other factors besides just drug use itself that can put people in harm’s way. This is why we provide resources to contextualize drug use, why people use drugs, and ways to make it safer depending on your situation. Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), sometimes referred to as “opioid dependence” or “opioid addiction,” is a problematic pattern of opioid use that causes significant impairment or distress.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that polysubstance use like mixing stimulants (uppers) with depressants (downers) can be extremely dangerous and damaging to your organs. A 2017 study explained family conflict is one of the primary causes for substance use in young folks. The term “prevention” is often used by experts in the field as a way to discuss how to stop an occurrence before it happens. We understand that language like this could feel like placing blame or negativity on substance use. They’re separated into the following categories, all having the capacity to be misused or foster an addiction.
There were two funding announcements made available in 2023 for city, county, state, and territorial health departments known as the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) cooperative agreements. Through these funding opportunities, we support innovation, expand harm reduction strategies, link people to life-saving care, and make the latest data available so that we can get ahead of the constantly evolving epidemic. Some people who use drugs go on to develop substance use disorders or experience other harms. However, evidence-based prevention strategies can help people avoid substance use, substance use disorders, and related health and safety problems. Importantly, evidence-based prevention strategies can help people avoid substance use and substance use disorders. For those who do develop substance use disorders, safe and effective treatment can help.