Around 66% of the US adult population have been affected – personally or via family member by the nation’s substance use crisis, a new KFF Tracking Poll found.
That means that two-thirds of US adults have been impacted in some way by alcohol or drug addiction, homelessness, hospitalization, or death due to addiction, or an overdose resulting in an emergency room visit.
Around 76 percent of them had their relationship with their family affected by addiction, 70 percent have experienced mental health issues whereas 57 percent have seen effects on their family’s financial situation.
Per the KFF researchers, racial and ethnic disparities were noted in addiction and treatment experiences with the percent being highest among the white population (67%) compared to 58% among Black adults and 56% among Hispanic adults.
According to the research, this gap stems mostly from the addiction to alcohol and prescription painkillers.
With regard to the treatment, the highest percentage of addicts that got treatment was among white adults (51%) whereas that percentage among Black and Hispanic adults is 35%.
Be the first to comment