While prior Surgeon General’s reports have discussed substance use disorders in certain contexts, The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health is the first Surgeon General’s Report to address substance use disorders and the wider range of health problems and consequences related to alcohol and drug misuse in the United Statesiv. Its aim is to galvanize the public, policymakers, and health care systems to make the most of these new opportunities so that the individual and public health consequences associated with alcohol and drug misuse can be addressed effectively. Only by doing so can individuals, their loved ones, and their communities be restored to full health and well-being.
Footnotes:
iv. Tobacco and nicotine addiction are discussed only minimally in this Report because tobacco use and its health consequences have been the subject of many previous Surgeon General’s Reports.
