I know that many Americans suffer from addictions, but I never ran the numbers and so was shocked by what I read in David Kupelian’s new book, The Snapping of the American Mind. In the midst of his discussion of social problems in America are some sobering chapters about our addictions.

Nearly 25 million Americans are current illicit drug users. Marijuana is the most commonly used drug. Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs also are part of that statistic. Add to that, alcohol consumption and the estimate that nearly one-quarter of all Americans participated in binge drinking. According to the Department of Health and Human Services: “In an average year, 30 million Americans drive drunk [and] 10 million drive impaired by illicit drugs.”

This means that well over 80 million Americans are intoxicated in one way or another with illegal drugs or alcohol, and 40 million of them have been, at one time or another, driving under the influence.

But there is a parallel drug program. This is the rapidly increasing number of people taking medically prescribed but poorly understood, mind-altering psychiatric drugs. This includes such things as opioid analgesics to suppress pain as well as various mood-altering drugs.

David Kupelian says when you add all of these numbers you can easily estimate that at least 130 million Americans are taking some drug (legal, illegal, alcohol). In a nation of 320 million, 130 million using some sort of drug is astonishing.

Then he begins to document all sorts of other addictions like addictions to sex, pornography, gambling, and even our digital devices. It doesn’t take long before you realize we are a country of addicts. We have an addiction problem that pastors and churches need to confront.