Disabilities, Issues in Prevention and Treatment

Licit drugs (e.g., alcohol and tobacco), illegal drugs (e.g., cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, heroin), and prescription medications may all be substances of abuse. According to the Office on Disability, alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse continues to be one of, if not the, most prevalent public health concerns in U.S. society. AOD abuse costs the American economy more than $220 billion per year; these costs directly impact a large portion of the U.S. population. Costs to society include health care expenses, motor vehicle crashes, crime, lost productivity, and death. There is no group more susceptible to AOD abuse than the 54 million Americans who experience a disability. For these individuals, the process of overcoming AOD abuse is increasingly difficult because of barriers that individuals without disabilities ...