2026-2027 | On-Demand Session | Hour 1: Epidemiology of Substance Use Disorders & Hour 2: Alcohol--The Most Destructive Drug in America | July 2026-Epidemiology and Alcohol Session Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session opened the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine’s National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum, led by Tim Brennan, who introduced the yearlong fellowship series, explained portal feedback and attendance documentation, and framed epidemiology as essential for understanding substance use disorders. Brennan reviewed core epidemiology concepts—incidence, prevalence, study designs, and common biases—and summarized major U.S. surveillance systems: NESARC, NSDUH, and Monitoring the Future. Key data highlighted alcohol as the most commonly used substance, with cannabis, tobacco/nicotine vaping, and illicit drug use also significant. He emphasized that surveys likely undercount some use because of stigma, sampling limits, and changing methods over time.<br /><br />The second lecture, by Dr. Ed Salsitz, argued that alcohol is underrecognized as a major public health threat—“the world’s most destructive drug” and possibly “the new tobacco.” He reviewed rising alcohol-related mortality, harms to others, impaired driving, violence, drowning, gun deaths, suicide, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and major medical complications, especially cancer. Salsitz explained ethanol metabolism and the role of acetaldehyde as a carcinogen, noting increased risk for several aerodigestive and breast cancers. He also challenged the long-standing idea that moderate drinking is cardioprotective, citing newer guidance that no safe level of alcohol consumption exists, especially for cancer risk. He concluded by calling for stronger public health measures, better treatment access, and reduced alcohol normalization in society.

Keywords

addiction medicine

epidemiology

substance use disorders

incidence

prevalence

NESARC

NSDUH

Monitoring the Future

alcohol use

cannabis

tobacco nicotine vaping

alcohol-related mortality

acetaldehyde

cancer risk