A new government report found that 21 million people have a substance abuse disorder but few get treatment.
Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy released a report Thursday that found that only one in 10 people suffering from substance abuse get treatment.
“The societal cost of alcohol misuse is $249 billion, and for illicit drug use it is $193 billion,” the surgeon general said in a release. “What we cannot quantify is the human toll on individuals, families and communities affected not only by addiction, but also by alcohol and drug-related crime, violence, abuse and child neglect.”
A key GOP lawmaker said the report could help break the stigma associated with addiction.
“We have to change the way we talk about addiction and break the stigma to help more Americans suffering from this disease get the treatment and recovery they need,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, in a statement.
Portman sponsored the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that was signed into law earlier this year. The bill offers several comprehensive actions to clamp down on opioid abuse, which kills more than 70 people a day, including expanding treatment options.
