University of Michigan Addiction Center

Leaders in Prevention, Research, and Treatment

What is a substance use disorder? Substance use disorders occur when the
recurrent use of alcohol and/or drugs causes significant impairment, such as health problems, disability
and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school or home. Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a
chronic disease that requires medical care.

Only about 10 percent of people with a substance

use disorder receive treatment.*
Substance use disorders affect

20.8 million One in 7 people in the U.S. are expected to develop

a substance use disorder at some point in their lives.*
people in the U.S.***

91 Americans die every day from

an opioid overdose.**

Substance use disorders Over 66 million individuals aged 12 or older

cost the U.S. more than
$400 billion
annually due to crime, lost
workplace productivity and
health care expenses.*
can be classified as binge drinkers.*
Nearly 70 percent of those who try an illicit drug
before the age of 13 develop a substance use disorder
within seven years.*

Why do people become addicted?

Biology. Genetics account for about half of a person’s risk for a substance use
disorder.* Gender, ethnicity and the presence of mental disorders may also influence
risk for a substance use disorder.

Environment. There are many influences on a person’s life, from family and
friends to economic status. Peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, early exposure
to alcohol, drugs and stress are all conditions that can influence a person’s likelihood of
developing a substance use disorder.

Development. The earlier that drug or alcohol use begins, the more likely it will
become problematic and progress into a disorder. However, problems can develop at
any age.

*Surgeon General Report **CDC ***National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Established in 1988, the University of Michigan Addiction Center (UMAC) conducts research and
provides education and treatment for substance use disorders and their causes.

Research. The UMAC scientific staff consists of 22 faculty members who collaborate
with researchers from units throughout the university, such as geriatrics, pediatrics, and
internal medicine.

Education. UMAC provides clinical and research training for the development of the
next generation of clinicians and research scientists, including the training of graduates,
postgraduates and international fellows.

Treatment. UMAC includes the University of Michigan Addiction Treatment Services

(UMATS) program, which provides state-of-the-art, evidence-based outpatient treatment
to support recovery from substance use disorders. Specialized UMATS programs focus
on youth and adolescents who have a substance use disorder in addition to a mental
disorder, as well as serving substance impaired professionals.

Addiction to alcohol and drugs is a private struggle and there are few resources that support
research efforts to find the causes of substance use and develop new treatments.

How you can help:

• Partnering to create innovative approaches to help attract and
support the next generation of addiction clinician-researchers.
• Supporting the extension of our educational reach to the broader
community through outreach and training, including enhancing
prevention and early intervention activities.
• Assisting us in enhancing prevention through online courses and
other media sources.

Gifts to the U-M Addiction Center support our work on the causes, prevention, interventions and
treatment of substance use disorders among adolescents, emerging adults and adults. To learn
more visit umaddictioncenter.org.

TO PARTNER WITH US, CONTACT:

Courtney Metzger
Assistant Director of Development
Michigan Medicine
734-763-1409 | coucarr@umich.edu
medicineneedsvictors.org