Alcohol, Drugs, and Other Risks

What it is

Honest facts about alcohol and drugs, what “normal” use looks like, and where to get help.

Why it helps you

Knowing the facts helps you make safe choices and recognize when you or someone you love needs support.

This opens up

Safer choices and steadier health.

Where to get help

Talk to someone now

SAMHSA National Helpline A free government line that connects you to local treatment, support groups, and community groups for drug, alcohol, or mental health concerns.

Cost: Free and confidential.
Who can use it: Anyone, for yourself or someone you love.
How to start: Call 1-800-662-4357 (1-800-662-HELP), TTY 1-800-487-4889. Or text your ZIP code to 435748 (HELP4U).
Good to know: Open 24/7, every day, in English and Spanish. It gives referrals, not counseling.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Free support from a trained counselor if you are in crisis, including about drugs or alcohol.

Cost: Free and confidential.
Who can use it: Anyone in the US.
How to start: Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Good to know: Open 24/7.

Find treatment

FindTreatment.gov A government search tool for licensed treatment programs for substance use and mental health.

Cost: Free to search. Treatment costs vary. You can look for places with free care or a sliding fee scale.
Who can use it: Anyone. The site is confidential and anonymous.
How to start: Enter your ZIP code and use the filters for payment options.
Good to know: Federal privacy rules (42 CFR Part 2) give extra protection to records from most substance use treatment programs. In general, they can’t share that you’re in treatment without your written consent, except in limited cases like an emergency or a court order.

Stay safer if you use

Naloxone (Narcan) Naloxone is a nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. It is sold without a prescription. Anyone can use it.

Cost: Sold in drugstores. Many health departments and harm reduction programs give it out free.
Who can use it: Anyone. You don’t need medical training.
How to start: Buy it at a pharmacy, ask your local health department, or use NEXT Distro below.
Good to know: Keep it where you and others can find it. Call 911 after you use it.

NEXT Distro A nonprofit that helps you get free naloxone and other safety supplies, often by mail, through partner programs.

Cost: Free.
Who can use it: Mainly people who use drugs and the people close to them.
How to start: Choose your state on the website to see programs that can mail you supplies.
Good to know: You need a mailing address. Programs differ by state.

Never Use Alone If you’re going to use alone, you can call. A person stays on the line. If you stop responding, they send help to your location.

Cost: Free and confidential.
Who can use it: Anyone in the US.
How to start: Call 1-800-484-3731 and give your location before you use.
Good to know: Open 24/7. They only call EMS if you stop responding.

Support groups, with or without religion

SMART Recovery Free support groups that use practical, research-based tools to change habits. There is no religious content.

Cost: Free.
Who can use it: Anyone working on any addiction, plus family and friends.
How to start: Find an in-person or online meeting at smartrecovery.org.
Good to know: No long-term commitment needed. If religious language is hard for you after leaving a group, this may feel like a better fit.

LifeRing Secular Recovery Peer-run, non-religious support groups for people who want to stop using alcohol and drugs.

Cost: Peer-run meetings. The site lists no fee to attend.
Who can use it: Anyone who wants to stay sober.
How to start: Find an in-person or online meeting at lifering.org.
Good to know: Meetings are conversations, not steps. The goal is not drinking or using at all.

Twelve-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous are free and meet almost everywhere. They talk about a “Higher Power.” Some people find that comforting. Others don’t. You get to choose what fits you.

Learn about your drinking

Rethinking Drinking (NIAAA) A free government website with plain facts about alcohol, calculators, and tips for cutting back or quitting.

Cost: Free.
Who can use it: Anyone.
How to start: Read about what counts as a “drink” and try the tools.
Good to know: Run by the National Institutes of Health.

If you only do one thing first

If you’re worried about your use, or someone else’s, call the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. It’s free, and you don’t have to give your name. A real person will listen and help you find options near you that fit your budget and your beliefs. Needing help is a health issue, not a moral failure.

Watch out for

Rehabs that offer you gifts. A real program will never pay for your flight, offer free rent, or give you cash to come. That can be a sign of an illegal scheme that bills your insurance and then drops you.
Fake “helplines.” Searching online often brings up ads for private rehabs posing as free helplines. Use a number from a .gov site, like 1-800-662-4357, or 988.
High-pressure sales. If a program wants a big payment right away, or won’t name its doctors and licenses, hang up. Check it on FindTreatment.gov.
Promises of a quick cure. Recovery takes time and support. No one can sell you a guaranteed cure.
Pills that aren’t from a pharmacy. Fake pills can contain fentanyl, which can kill in tiny amounts. Only take medicine from a licensed pharmacy.