Just think, how many people were at your local high school graduation?  I went to my niece’s graduation in a small town recently and there seemed to be about 150 students there.  That would make 30 of her classmates in need of treatment and only 3 of them receiving the treatment they need.  The acting administrator for SAMHSA, Eric Broderick, had a great quote saying, “Substance use disorders are preventable and treatable yet we continue as a Nation to allow the lives of 1 in 5 young people and their families be torn apart by substance abuse.  As a nation we must redouble our efforts to prevent substance abuse in the first place and ensure treatment is available to those in need.”   I hope we can turn the tide.

Blessings,   Ginger

 Young Adult’s Need for and Receipt of Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use Treatment: 2007 is based on 2007 data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, involving responses from 22,187 persons aged 18 to 25.

The full report is available online at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/157/YoungAdultsDrugTxt.cfm.  Copies may also be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) or at   http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=18140.  For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/.