A Majority of Adults Say Addiction Has Impacted Their Family
A Majority of Adults Say Addiction Has Impacted Their Family
Researchers have found that some people may be more genetically prone to developing an addiction than others and a new study says that 75% of adults surveyed said they have a family member who has a substance use disorder (SUD). While people with a family history of addiction should be aware of the additional risks they face in developing a SUD of their own, it doesn’t mean that are doomed to a life of addiction.
By understanding what makes some people more genetically prone to developing an SUD and the measures that can be taken to prevent them from occurring, people can protect themselves and future generations from developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
More Families Are Struggling with Opioid Overdoses
Drugs like fentanyl have caused overdoses from opioids to skyrocket in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2020 drug overdose deaths rose by 14%, from 28 to 32 deaths per 100,000 people, and in 2021 nearly 107,000 people overdosed. It may come as no surprise that in a poll conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) in July of 2023 nearly 1 in 10 adults said they had a family member die of a drug overdose.
The same poll also revealed that 29% of those surveyed say they or a family member have been addicted to opioids—including prescription painkillers and illegal substances like heroin. The most impacted people were residents in rural areas at 42% and White adults at 33%. Nearly half of rural residents also said that they were worried that one of their family members would unknowingly consume fentanyl.
Grace Sparks, a survey analyst for KFF’s public opinion and survey research team says, “Clear trends have been emerging in past years that the nation is struggling with the many issues inside of addiction, including opioid use, fentanyl concerns, and how it’s impacted lives,” says Sparks.
“The nation is struggling with the many issues inside of addiction, including opioid use, fentanyl concerns, and how it’s impacted lives”
Grace Sparks, A Survey Analyst
