Harnessing Social Media for Substance Use Research and Treatment

Abstract

It is not news that drug addiction is still one of the largest problems we face as a nation, despite decades of attempted social, legal, and medical solutions. New synthetic drugs of abuse seem to be emerging regularly, with substances like Flakka sending unsuspecting users into terrifying and dangerous experiences. Prescription and street opioids are ravaging unsuspecting communities, importing big city problems to bucolic rural locales. Nearly one in 10 (8.4%) American adults confronted a substance use disorder in the past year [1], resulting in an array of personal hardships ranging from the disruption of relationships to death. If that fact alone provides insufficient motivation to engender change, consider the fact that tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use cost the United States U$700 billion annually [2], which is $244 billion more than we spend on Medicaid. And, this problem is not unique to the U.S but is a global problem. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates that there are between 16 million and 39 million problem substance users across the world, with only one in six having access to, or receiving, treatment [3]. Drastically new approaches for research and treatment are clearly required to address this persistent and evolving worldwide need.