SUBSTANCE ABUSE VERSUS OTHER BEHAVIORAL ISSUES

Substance Abuse versus Other Behavioral Issues

Substance Abuse versus Other Behavioral Issues

Substance abuse and dependence are common disorders. The most latest approximates for 2002 show that an approximated 22 million Americans elderly 12 and older are classified as having a substance use disorder (9.4 per hundred of the population) (OAS, 2003). Of these, 3.2 million are classified with dependence on or abuse of both alcoholic beverage and illegal pharmaceuticals, 3.9 million are reliant on or misused illegal pharmaceuticals but not alcoholic beverage, and 14.9 million are reliant on or misused alcoholic beverage but not illegal ...