Drug and alcohol abuse in the U.S. is overwhelming; resulting in severe personal, social, and financial problems in the lives
of millions of people. Over 14 million Americans have serious drinking problems; and 53 percent of the US population have one or more close relatives with a drinking problem.1 Over 4 million people are addicted to narcotics and cocaine, and over 19.5 million Americans over age 12 years have experimented with some sort of illegal drug;2 with 19,000 deaths occurring annually in the US. Over 4 million women need drug abuse treatment.2 The
nutritional impact of commonly abused addictive drugs can produce adverse health effects. Marijuana, morphine, heroin, cocaine, and alcohol can affect nutritional status and alter food, water, and salt intakes; weight maintenance; and the metabolism and status of specific nutrients. Substance abuse harms the body by the affects of the substance itself, and their effects on lifestyle factors. Recovery from any form of substance abuse causes additional stress on the body. Proper nutrition is a crucial element to the recovery process, and helps the body reverse the effects of the substance by boosting its ability to complete detoxification and recovery. The drug-craving brain and nervous system significantly benefit from nutritional supplementation. Patterns of drug use are
different in different age groups. Marijuana and illegal street drug use is more common in adolescent teens, while alcoholism and prescription medication abuse are more common in older populations. Since, the effects of these drugs are different, nutritional recommendations depend on the individual and their age. Additionally, people experience different symptoms of withdrawal from different substances. While general rules of proper nutrition apply to everyone who is in the recovery period, the specifics of nutritional needs for detoxification from several common classes of habit-forming substances are required.
1. www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/alcoholism/prevalence.htm. Alcoholism Getting the Facts: NIAAA.
2. www.wrongdiagnosis.com/d/drug_abuse/prevalence.htm. Drug Abuse and Treatment: NWHIC.