Substance Abuse in America

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance use in America is poverty. While research on poverty and substance abuse does clearly indicate a correlation exists between the two, there is not clear evidence of a causal relationship between them. Research has been unable to prove that substance abuse causes poverty; nor have they been able to prove that living in poverty causes substance addiction.
Illicit drug use in the United States of America has risen to its highest level in 8 years according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NIDA, 2010). On a national level, substance abuse experts are searching for reasons that substance abuse addiction has risen so dramatically in recent years. Some officials have indicated that the increase in substance abuse is related to a reduction in prevention messages for adolescents, increased legalization of medical marijuana, and a shift in attitudes about the dangers of prescription drug use (NIDA, 2010). While only one concrete reason for the increase cannot be identified, there are a number of clear risk factors that have been identified in research that increase an individual’s probability of developing a substance abuse disorder.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, an on-going research study conducted

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