Substance Use Issues Among the Underserved: United States and International Perspectives

Substance use affects people of all ages, cultures, and socioeconomic levels. Most underserved populations have lower rates of substance use than the general population in a given society, excluding tobacco use. The impact of substance use is more severe, however, in the underserved, with higher rates of incarceration, job loss, morbidity, and mortality. Innovative solutions are being developed to address these differences. Working together, underserved patients with substance use problems can be helped on their journeys toward health and wholeness.