Addiction in America

[innerSpaceman]

I was surprised by some statistics on addiction reported by Time Magazine this week, specifically regarding how many Americans are addicted to which type of substances or behaviors. I think our priorities to address and combat addiction are rather skewed, considering the reportedly true numbers of addicts and their actual addictions.

Booze - 18.7 million people are addicted to alcohol, or 7% of the U.S. population. AA has 2 million members. 12,000 new people try alcohol for the first time every day.

Drugs - 3.6 million people are dependent on drugs. 700,00 are undergoing treatment for addiction. On average, 8,000 people try drugs for the first time each day. More then half of these are females under the age of 18. Marijuana, cocaine and pain relievers are the leading drugs of abuse.

Tobacco - There are about 71.5 million users of tobacco products in the U.S. About 23.4% of men and 18.5% of women are cigarette smokers, with cigarette use lowest in the Western states and highest in the Midwest. 44.3% of young adults ages 18 to 25 use tobacco, the highest rate for any age group.

Caffeine - Caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world, and is routinely ingested by about 80% to 90% of Americans, primarily through soda and coffee. A daily brewed cup of joe, with 100mg of caffeine, can lead to physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms are experienced by 40% to 70% of those trying to quit.

Food - Food addiction affects as many as 4 million adults, and is strongly linked to depression. About 15% of mildly obese people are compulsive eaters. Binge eating, thought to be the most common eating disorder in America, is considered bulimia when a person purges to lose weight.

Gambling - Two million Americans, or 0.67% of the population, are thought to be pathological gamblers, wagering heedless of the consequences. An additional 4 million to 8 million are considered problem gamblers.

Shopping - At least 1 in 20 Americans is a compulsive shopper. The addiction affects both genders almost equally.

Sex - About 16 million Americans suffer from compulsive sexual behavior, the least understood of addictions. A third are women. About 60% of all sex addicts were abused in childhood. An addict is dependent on the neurochemical changes that take place during sex and is consumed by sexual thoughts.

The Internet - Like compulsive gambling, internet addiction is thought to be an impulse-control disorder that can disrupt social relationships. There is disagreement as to whether it should be formally considered a disorder. Though substance abusers strive for abstinence, an internet addict’s goal is to attain moderation.


Any surprises for you? Anything you care to discuss about addiction, resources and methods to combat addiction, myths and truths about addiction? Don’t get addicted to this thread, but please contribute - if you can handle it.