STUDY PEGS U.S. ADDICTS AT 22 MILLION

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A federal survey says 22 million Americans were addicted to
drugs or alcohol in 2002.

The survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
said 14.9 million people were alcoholics, 3.9 million were drug addicts and the
remainder were addicted to both drugs and alcohol, the Washington Times
reported Saturday.

SAMHSA head Charles G. Curie told a news conference Friday over nine percent of
the population over age 12 had a serious substance-abuse problem.

Marijuana was the most common drug, with 14.6 million users, the survey said.
Cocaine users numbered 2 million and 1.2 million used hallucinogens.

Only about 3.5 million addicts received treatment between 2001 and 2002, the
survey said.

Those who went untreated said they did not think they needed it or that
treatment was unavailable to them, the Times said.

Officials urged more funding for education and treatment.