National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

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Cosco Health Report

Recovery month, which has been observed for 23 years, originally focused on recognition for professionals who treat patients for substance abuse. In 1998 it shifted to celebrating the successes of individuals who had overcome addition and in 2011 it expanded to encompass all forms of behavioral health.

The core message of this initiative is multifold: Prevention works; treatment is effective; people can and do recover to live healthy and rewarding lives; behavioral health is essential to overall health.

U.S. Substance Abuse Statistics

  • 17.6 million people – about one in every 12 adults – abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent
  • Alcohol is the leading risk factor in deaths of males age 15 to 59
    Alcohol dependence and abuse cost $220 billion a year
  • More than 40 people per day die from drunk driving, approximately 16,000 people per year
  • More than 10 million people abuse prescription medications
  • More than 3 million people use cocaine
  • Nearly half of all drug-related emergency room visits are due to cocaine abuse.

For more information, go to www.recoverymonth.gov