Epidemiology of Substance Use Disorders (2025-2026 Recording)-Epidemiology of Substance Use Disorders Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The lecture introduced epidemiology of substance use disorders, emphasizing why the topic matters for boards, media, and public health. Dr. Brennan defined epidemiology as the study of disease distribution and determinants—who is affected, when, and where—and reviewed key concepts like incidence, prevalence, case series, case-control studies, cohort studies, odds ratios, and relative risk. He stressed that epidemiologic data are only as good as the sample studied, and that selection bias and inequity can distort findings.<br /><br />He then reviewed major U.S. surveillance efforts: NESARC, NSDUH, and Monitoring the Future. NESARC found substantial lifetime and 12-month drug use disorder rates, with strong associations to psychiatric comorbidity and low treatment access. NSDUH data showed that nearly 60% of Americans age 12+ used alcohol, tobacco, nicotine vaping, or an illicit drug in the past month, with alcohol still the most common substance. Cannabis remained the leading illicit drug, while vaping was rising among youth. Monitoring the Future showed encouraging declines in alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine vaping among adolescents, along with increasing abstinence.<br /><br />He concluded with examples of epidemiology in action, including public health responses to synthetic cannabinoids and a community-based methamphetamine treatment program in New York City.

Keywords

epidemiology

substance use disorders

incidence and prevalence

selection bias

NESARC

NSDUH

Monitoring the Future

public health surveillance