Poll: Americans Unhappy With Efforts to Combat Addiction

May 9, 2016

Almost half of all Americans know someone addicted to prescription painkillers, and a majority of the public believes there is inadequate treatment available for people suffering from substance use disorders, according to the April Health Tracking Poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The poll investigated public opinion and attitudes toward several health topics in the U.S., including access to mental health services and treatment.

The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted the poll between April 12 and 19 with 1,201 adult participants. The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points. KFF is a nonprofit organization that analyzes national health care issues.

A Serious Health Problem

Heroin abuse and contaminated drinking water were considered the second- and third-most-serious health problems facing the country, according to 35 percent of survey respondents who agreed that they were extremely serious health problems.

Comparatively, 43 percent of respondents said cancer was an extremely serious health problem, and 33 percent believed obesity and lack of access to mental health services were extremely serious problems.

Only 19 percent of the public believed alcohol abuse was an extremely serious health problem.

Although prescription painkillers are composed of chemical substances similar to heroin, only 28 percent of the public believed abuse of the drugs was an extremely serious problem.

The perception of people who are addicted to the different types of drugs was different, too. Fifty-two percent of respondents said people addicted to heroin face a lot of prejudice and discrimination, but only 38 percent said people addicted to painkillers face the same prejudice and discrimination.

Access to Care

Three quarters of the public said access to care was a problem for people with substance abuse problems, including 58 percent who said it was a major problem and 17 percent who said it was a minor problem.

Comparatively, 87 percent of Americans thought lack of access to care for people with mental health conditions in general was a problem, with 73 percent saying it was a major problem.

More than one fifth (21 percent) of respondents said there was an instance when they or a family member thought they might need mental health treatment but did not seek it.

Americans might be afraid or embarrassed to seek care because of the stigma associated with mental health conditions.

Public perception of discrimination and prejudice was slightly lower for people who suffer from anxiety.

What’s Being Done

Most Americans believed the government was not doing enough to fight the opioid epidemic, although they placed the majority of the blame on people who abused the drugs.

Respondents who did not think each group was doing enough to combat each epidemic:

Group	Prescription Painkillers	Heroin
Individuals who use	73%	77%
Federal government	66%	62%
State government	67%	61%
Doctors	63%	56%
Police officers	37%	36%

Recent government efforts to combat prescription drug abuse include new warnings to opioid labels and new guidelines for opioid prescriptions.

Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

View Sources

• Firth, J., Kirzinger, A. & Brodie, M. (2016, April 28). Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: April 2016. Retrieved from http://kff.org/health-reform/report/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-april-2016/
• Gillespie, L. (2016, May 3). More Action Needed Against Drug Abuse: Poll. Retrieved from http://khn.org/news/more-action-needed-against-drug-abuse-poll/

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