Incorporating Substance Use Content Into Social Work Curricula: Opioid Overdose as a Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Problem: Sheila P. Vakharia

Background Substance Use Around the World The most commonly used substance internationally is alcohol-with a great deal of regional variation in use (World Health Organization, 2010). Globally, illicit drug use is relatively rare and the most commonly used drug around the world is cannabis. In Europe, it is estimated that approximately 25% of adults (85 million) have used an illicit drug in their lifetime (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2013a). In the United States (US), it is estimated that approximately 9.2% of Americans over the age of 12 used an illicit drug in the past month (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, 2013a).