U.S. Surgeon General Tackles Alcohol Misuse in Addiction Report
The U.S. Surgeon General has issued a landmark report intended “to address substance use disorders and the wider range of health problems and consequences related to alcohol and drug misuse in the United States.” Seeking “to galvanize the public, policymakers, and health care systems,” the report claims, among other things, that more than 25 percent of the adult and adolescent population experienced at least one binge drinking episode in the past month—that is, men consumed five or more standard alcoholic beverages in a single occasion and women consumed four or more such beverages in a single occasion.
Divided into seven chapters, the report includes sections on “the neurobiology of substance use, misuse, and addiction,” prevention and early intervention strategies, and recovery paths. In particular, the report highlights “well-supported scientific evidence” purportedly showing that (i) “addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic brain disease that has potential for recurrence and recovery”; (ii) “the addiction process involves a three-stage cycle: binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation”; (iii) “disruptions in three areas of the brain are particularly important in the onset, development, and maintenance of substance use disorders: the basal ganglia, the extended amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex”; (iv) “these changes in the brain persist long after substance use stops”; and (v) “adolescence is a critical ‘at-risk period’ for substance use and addiction.” The report also notes supporting evidence showing that changes to the brain “persist long after substance use stops.”
Among other recommendations, the report urges companies in the private sector to “promote only responsible, safe use of legal substances, by adults,” and “support youth substance use prevention.” As it concludes, “Prejudice and discrimination have created many of the challenges that plague the substance use disorder treatment field. These factors can have a profound influence on individuals’ willingness to talk to their health care professional about their substance use concerns; to seek or access treatment services; and to be open with friends, family, and coworkers about their treatment and recovery needs.”
Issue 623
