Substance Use Resources and Education

Introduction: The misuse and abuse of alcohol, over-the-counter medications, illicit drugs, and tobacco affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. North Carolina reports 8.5% of the total population use illicit drugs and unfortunately we rank 20th compared to other states in drug overdoses. Western North Carolina communities are actively working to implement solutions that address the impact of substance use disorders by increasing access to treatment and recovery services, increasing prevention and education efforts and examining the impact of substance use on the overall health and economic development as a result of lost productivity of workers. Coordinating and collaborating these local level efforts can result in positive outcomes in addressing the problems associated with substance use across the Vaya Health catchment area, including the stigma of substance use disorders and treatment. By legislative statute, Vaya Health is responsible for the planning of community efforts such as this. Guiding the work of the Western Region are two recently released reports.  The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use released their report on May 1, 2016.  The report can be found at www.ncdhhs.gov/mhsu.  The report contains recommendations and implementation strategies that address factors impacting substance use issues across adult and child populations.  In 2016, the first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health reviews what we know about substance misuse and how you can use that knowledge to address substance misuse and related consequences.  It speaks to prevention through treatment and recovery (https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov).  These reports, along with other literature and data will be used to drive the recommendations and solutions of the WNC SU Alliance.