One in five individuals develops a substance use disorder; more than 46 million people in the United States are affected at any given time. And yet, most people choose to use alcohol or other drugs recreationally. According to the latest National Survey of Alcohol and Health, about 85% of people report using alcohol in their lifetime. Even while evidence mounts for the harmful effects of alcohol and we continue to experience tragic fallout from the opioid epidemic, as a society we are moving toward increasing legalization and availability of drugs, including marijuana and, more recently psilocybin.
Against this backdrop of ready availability and widespread interest in recreational alcohol and other drug use, it would be eminently helpful for people to know if they are at elevated risk for developing problems, so they could make the best choices for promoting their health and wellbeing. To read the full story.