Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) Releases Annual Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths Report

Trust for America's Health (TFAH) recently released its annual Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths report. The report, based on the latest available CDC data and TFAH's analysis, found that the combined number of US deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide was down slightly in 2022 due to a decrease in alcohol-related deaths. However, the multidecade trend of substance misuse and suicide deaths remains alarmingly high.

This year's report also includes a special feature on polysubstance use and emerging drug overdose trends.

Report Findings and Recommendations

Between 2002 and 2022, combined US deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide increased by 142 percent, from 74,003 deaths in 2002 to 207,827 deaths in 2022.

While all communities have experienced increases in substance misuse and suicide deaths over the last two decades, rates of increase vary across population groups and states. American Indian and Alaska Native people, Black people, and white people have higher than average combined rates for alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths.

Additionally, the report includes the following recommendations for urgently needed evidence-based policy actions to address the nation's substance use disorder and suicide crisis:

• Investment in prevention programs, including programs to provide trauma-informed youth services and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

• Harm-reduction policies, including increasing access to syringe service programs, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and programs to promote safe storage of firearms.

• Strengthen the mental health and substance use prevention system by continuing to build a continuum of crisis intervention programs, ensuring access to mental health and substance use services, and growing the behavioral health workforce while increasing its diversity and offering more culturally and linguistically responsive services.