Non-Medical Drug Use - Past Month in Delaware

Delaware

The use of illicit drugs or prescription drugs without a doctor's guidance can be dangerous and have long-lasting consequences. Use of these drugs within the past 30 days represents individuals that are more likely to be regular users when compared with use within the past year or during someone's lifetime.  While some short-term effects might be minor, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost 2 million people ages 12 and older are seen in emergency departments for non-fatal poisonings in a year, almost 1 million of which are non-fatal drug overdoses. Additional short-term effects include heart attack, stroke, psychosis, overdose and death. Potential longer-term effects include contracting a disease such as HIV, hepatitis, and endocarditis or developing a medical condition such as heart disease, certain cancers and mental illness. Substance abuse can also lead to addiction, called a substance use disorder, which often requires lifelong management. In 2020, it was estimated that roughly 9.3 million people in the United States ages 12 and older used an illicit drug other than marijuana (including cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, methamphetamine, or prescription psychotherapeutics that were misused, which include pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives) in the past month.

The health consequences of using illicit drugs or prescription drugs without a doctor's guidance are costly to both individuals and society. In 2007, it was estimated that illicit drug use cost the United States $193 billion. Emergency room visits for drug misuse has increased from about 33 visits per 10,000 people in 2009 to about 40 visits per 10,000 people in 2017.

The prevalence of past-year non-medical drug use is higher among:

• Males than females. 
• Those who identify their race as other, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native adults compared with all other racial/ethnic groups. Asian and Black adults have the lowest prevalences.
• Adults with some college education and college graduates compared with high school graduates and those with less than a high school education. 

• Adults with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with those with higher annual incomes.

Non-medical drug use can be prevented and treated. Because addiction often requires lifelong management, prevention of non-medical drug use is often preferable. The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists 16 principles for choosing and implementing substance abuse prevention programs based on research. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has evidence-based programs and resources for parents, schools and primary care doctors, many of them focusing on children and adolescents.

When prevention is no longer an option, there are research-based treatment programs. The treatment locator by SAMHSA can help individuals find state-licensed providers that specialize in substance use disorders. There are also evidence-based resources for treatment facilities or medical practitioners that provide substance abuse treatment and recovery.

Healthy People 2030 has several drug-related objectives. The two objectives related to non-medical drug use include decreasing the proportion of adolescents reporting use of any illicit drug during the past 30 days and maintaining the baseline proportion of adults reporting use of any illicit drug during the past 30 days.

Priester, Mary Ann, et al. “Treatment Access Barriers and Disparities Among Individuals with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: An Integrative Literature Review.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, vol. 61, Feb. 2016, pp. 47–59. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2015.09.006.

“QuickStats: Number of Emergency Department Visits  for Substance Abuse or Dependence§ per 10,000 Persons Aged ≥18 Years, by Age Group — United States, 2008–2009 and 2016–2017.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 68, no. 50, Dec. 2019, p. 1171. DOI.org (Crossref), doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6850a7.

Schulte, Marya T., and Yih-Ing Hser. “Substance Use and Associated Health Conditions throughout the Lifespan.” Public Health Reviews, vol. 35, no. 2, Dec. 2013, p. 3, doi:10.1007/BF03391702.