NATIONWIDE —  The “Start With Hope” campaign offers resources and inspires those to get help and reach out to the resources around them. 

What You Need To Know

  • In 2021, more than 46 million Americans 12 and older had a substance use disorder (SUD)

  • Less than 10% of individuals experienced SUD received treatment

  • From 2019 to 2020, Black Americans saw a 55% increase between ages 25 and 44
  • From 2019 to 2020, Hispanic Americans saw a 21% increase between ages 25 and 44
  • In 2021 the CDC reported that almost 17% of Ohioans experienced some sort of substance abuse

While substance use in the Black and Hispanic communities doesn’t differ greatly from other communities, they have the seen the sharpest increase.

From 2019 to 2020, Black Americans have seen a 55% increase between ages 25 and 44 and Hispanic Americans have seen a 21% increase. Ohio has created resources to address the issue after seeing almost 5,500 drug overdoses in 2021.

The National Council for Mental Well Being is integral in the campaign and said the first step is breaking the stigma and getting obstacles, like racial bias, out of the way.

"In sustained recovery myself, I understand that my privilege afforded me better access to care than Black and Hispanic individuals with the exact same substance use disorder that I have,” said Cortney Lovell, who serves as the director of practice improvement and consulting for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “That is what we are working to address with this campaign. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing acknowledges that there are deeply entrenched systemic injustices that exist around health equity, and we are working to dismantle them in all areas of mental wellbeing access.”

This is the second year for a national public service announcement. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing said that they plan to partner with local and state counterparts to provide resources. Almost 17% of Ohioans experienced some sort of substance abuse in 2021.

Lovell said it’s crucial that local organizations also get the help they need.

“We continue to partner with those stakeholders who are the boots on the ground, the frontline workers who are out there every day working with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) communities, helping to bridge these gaps that exist and link individuals to the care that they need.”

if you or a loved one are experiencing a substance use disorder and need help you can call 1-800-662-4357. You can find more about the “Start with Hope” here.