Veterans and Substance Abuse

VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY HAVE PROTECTED AMERICANS FROM DANGERS WE COULD NOT SEE,  AND DANGERS WE DID NOT KNOW EXISTED, NOW MANY OF THEM ARE AFFLICTED WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE. THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES DURING COMBAT. THEY HAVE MADE DECISIONS THAT MOST OF US COULD NOT MAKE. THESE MEN AND WOMEN DESERVE OUR RESPECT AND OUR HELP WHEN DEALING WITH PHYSICAL WOUNDS, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

  • 7.1% of veterans developed substance use disorder (SUD) during the period from 2004 to 2006, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
  • 2 out of 10 veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder go on to develop SUD, according to the National Center for PTSD.
  • 1 in 6 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns experiences symptoms of PTSD, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • 20% of female veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with PTSD.
  • 1 out of 4 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns reports experiencing the symptoms of a mental health disorder, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • 25% of young veterans aged between 18 and 25 years exhibited the symptoms of SUD or other mental health disorders between 2004 and 2006, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This is double the instance reported by veterans aged 26-54 years and 5 times more than for veterans aged 55 years or older.

Solutions for veterans and their loved ones can be found here: https://addictionresource.com/addiction/veterans-and-substance-abuse/

 I have also found a helpful article about the reasons for and consequences of tobacco use within the Veteran community (https://vapingdaily.com/support/smoking-among-veterans/).
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