Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Addiction is a major public health issue in the United States, contributing to nearly 80,000 drug overdose deaths in 2024 and about 178,000 deaths from excessive alcohol use each year. Tobacco use causes over 480,000 deaths annually from related diseases. Beyond mortality, addiction increases risks of injuries, cancer, heart disease, and the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. Addiction also leads to serious social harms, including trauma from parental loss due to fatal overdoses. These impacts affect individuals, families, and society broadly, according to NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) director Dr. Nora Volkow.
Dr. Lorenzo Leggio of NIDA explains that addiction is a brain disorder, not a moral failure, though non-medical factors also play a role. Various substances—alcohol, opioids, cannabinoids, nicotine, and stimulants—induce dopamine bursts in the brain's nucleus accumbens. Dopamine signals rewarding activity, which rewires the brain and encourages repeated use. Environmental cues associated with substance use can trigger cravings through conditioning.
NIH-funded researchers are working to develop improved treatments for addiction, including medications, behavioral therapies, and integrated health services to address the complex nature of substance use disorders and help individuals achieve recovery.