Addiction in BIPOC Communities
Understand addiction statistics, barriers to care and ways to find treatment that respects your culture, language and needs.
Get medical advice before stopping heavy, prolonged alcohol use or regular benzodiazepines. For a suspected opioid overdose, give naloxone if available and call 911. For crisis support, call or text 988.
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Understanding Addiction in BIPOC Communities
BIPOC means Black, Indigenous, and people of color. It is an umbrella term, not a single culture or a diagnosis. If alcohol or drugs are affecting your health, relationships or responsibilities, care should address your needs without making assumptions about your background. Treatment can help, and your language, experiences and preferences belong in that conversation.[1][2]
A substance use disorder involves a pattern of alcohol or drug use that causes significant problems. Addiction is often used to describe its more severe forms.[3][4]
An assessment considers how use affects your life. Physical dependence means the body has adapted to a drug. Stopping it can cause symptoms called withdrawal, even when someone has taken medicine as prescribed. Dependence alone does not establish addiction. Understanding addiction can help you prepare to discuss your concerns.[5]
If your concern involves gambling or another activity rather than a substance, explore behavioral addiction for the relevant questions and support options.
Fast Facts About Addiction in BIPOC Communities
Keep these distinctions in mind when looking for help:
- There is no single BIPOC addiction rate. Survey results differ across populations and depend on what is measured.[3]
- Respectful care asks about your experience. Cultural and language needs should shape how services are delivered.[6]
- Treatment can include ongoing medication and counseling. Detox alone does not address all the needs involved in recovery.[2][7]
- Community support and medical treatment have different roles. A peer meeting can offer connection, while a clinician assesses treatment and medication needs.[2]
What Addiction Statistics Can Tell Us
National surveys help identify needs, but they cannot predict whether you or someone you love has an addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) combined its 2022–2024 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health to estimate how many adults met substance use disorder criteria in the previous year. These are annual averages for adults 18 and older, not 2026 rates.[3]
| Survey population | Estimated percentage |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 26.4%[3] |
| Asian | 9.4%[3] |
| Black or African American | 18.8%[3] |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 22.1%[3] |
| White | 18.5%[3] |
| Multiracial | 25.1%[3] |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.2%[3] |
Multiracial means respondents reported more than one race. Hispanic or Latino respondents may be of any race. The other rows refer to non-Hispanic respondents. The survey covers people living in households and certain group settings. It excludes people in institutions, active-duty military personnel and people experiencing homelessness who have no fixed address.[3]
A larger percentage does not always establish a reliable difference. For example, the report did not find a statistically significant difference between Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and White adults. The Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander estimate was less precise. These findings do not support a blanket claim that every BIPOC group has higher addiction rates.[3]
Why Getting Treatment Can Be Harder
Racism, unequal access to health care, housing problems and the effects of the criminal legal system can interfere with addiction care. The American Society of Addiction Medicine urges providers to take patients’ experiences of racism seriously and connect them with resources that address these obstacles.[1]
For a reader, that can mean asking for help with a missed appointment caused by transportation or work hours, rather than accepting that it reflects a lack of commitment. A useful conversation is specific: “I want treatment, but I cannot get here at that time. What other arrangements are available?”
ASAM also describes unequal access to opioid-use-disorder medications, including differences in who receives office-based buprenorphine. A community’s treatment barriers should not be mistaken for a lack of motivation or family support. Ask about all appropriate treatment options, including medication, and how you can receive them.[1]
Some people worry about judgment from relatives, a faith community or a clinician. Others draw strength from those same relationships. A provider should ask what matters to you instead of assuming that everyone who shares your background holds the same beliefs.[6]
How to Find Care That Respects Your Background
Culturally responsive care means adapting care to the person. Federal health-care standards call for understandable, respectful services that respond to cultural beliefs, language and communication needs. They also recommend competent language assistance at no cost and discourage relying on children or untrained people to interpret.[6]
You may prefer a therapist who shares your racial, ethnic or cultural background. That preference is worth discussing alongside their experience treating your concern, fees and availability. The Melanin & Mental Health directory includes filters for issues, language, insurance and appointment type.[8]
Papa Ola Lōkahi, a Native Hawaiian health organization, describes healing in relation to land, language, family and cultural connection. That perspective offers a useful question for care: “How can treatment include the practices and relationships that help me feel grounded?” It does not mean every Native Hawaiian person wants the same approach.[9]
Questions for a first call
- What experience do you have treating the substance or problem I am concerned about?
- Can I discuss racism or a previous harmful care experience without having to defend it?
- Can you arrange an interpreter in my preferred language? Is there a charge?
- How would you include my family, spiritual practices or community supports if I want that?
- Who can see my records, and how will appointment reminders or bills reach me?
- What will I pay, and what happens if I need more support than you provide?
What Addiction Treatment May Involve
Treatment should respond to your substance use, physical and mental health, living situation and goals. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that effective care addresses the whole person. For example, help managing cravings may need to be coordinated with care for anxiety or another health concern.[2]
Choosing a Treatment Setting
Outpatient care lets you attend appointments while living at home. Residential care provides a place to stay during treatment, while hospital care can provide medical support for more urgent needs. The right setting depends on an assessment, not your race or whether a program advertises itself as BIPOC-friendly.[10]
Compare levels of addiction care and ask what a program actually provides. If you are preparing for a stay, ask about medication access, language support, family contact and practical arrangements before going to rehab.
Medication Is More Than Detox Support
Buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone are medications for opioid use disorder. Their roles differ, so a clinician should explain which may fit your situation. Treatment can continue long term. It is not simply a short course to get through withdrawal.[7]
Medications are also available for alcohol use disorder. Counseling can help you practice coping skills, recognize situations that trigger use and work toward your goals. Ask an addiction clinician how medication and other support could work together for you.[7][2]
Withdrawal and Overdose Need Specific Help
Stopping alcohol suddenly after prolonged heavy use can cause life-threatening withdrawal. Get medical advice before stopping. Benzodiazepines also require a clinician’s plan rather than an abrupt stop. An assessment can determine the withdrawal support you need.[11][5]
If someone cannot be awakened or has slow or stopped breathing and an opioid overdose may be involved, give naloxone if available and call 911. Stay with them until emergency help arrives. Naloxone reverses opioid overdose, but emergency care is still needed.[12]
Peer and Family Support
Peer meetings offer connection with people who have lived experience. They can complement treatment, but they do not replace medical assessment or medication. Relatives can also seek family support to learn how to help while caring for their own needs.[2]
Community-Specific Support and Care Routes
Check each service’s role before choosing it. A therapist directory, a peer meeting and a health-care program solve different problems. Ask about eligibility, current availability, cost and whether the service treats your particular concern.
- Melanin & Mental Health lists clinicians serving Black and Latinx communities, with in-person and virtual appointment filters. Verify a clinician’s license, substance-use experience and payment arrangements before booking.[8]
- BEAM, the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, provides community wellness tools, training and healing spaces. These resources can help you explore community support. Ask a treatment provider separately about clinical care.[13]
- Recovery Dharma Online’s BIPOC meeting offers Buddhist-inspired peer support for people who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color. Read its current schedule and participation requirements, including its initial video check, before joining.[14]
American Indian and Alaska Native Services
The Indian Health Service, Tribal health programs and Urban Indian Organizations provide different routes into care. Contact the particular program about eligibility, registration and available behavioral-health services before traveling. A Tribal program may have its own rules about serving members of other Tribes.[15][16]
IHS is not health insurance. Care provided directly at a facility and payment for care from an outside provider have different requirements. Being eligible for direct services does not guarantee payment for an outside referral. Ask the local service unit what must be approved and what you might owe.[17]
For more detail about registration and outside-referral payment, explore Native American addiction treatment through IHS, Tribal and Urban Indian services.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Services
Explore our Pacific Islander mental health support guide for local programs, language support and questions to ask before an appointment.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities should not be treated as one culture or one health-care system. Papa Ola Lōkahi provides Native Hawaiian health information and community resources. On Lāna‘i, the community health center describes integrated medical and behavioral care, including support for substance use, and an income-based sliding fee scale.[9][18]
These are specific local routes, not a promise of services for every Pacific Islander person wherever they live. Ask a community organization or health center where you live about language, eligibility, addiction expertise and referrals. Do not assume that Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander identity alone establishes eligibility for IHS.[15][18]
Finding Affordable Help Near You
Start with your insurer, a local health center or SAMHSA’s FindTreatment.gov. SAMHSA’s National Helpline provides free treatment-referral information around the clock in English and Spanish. It does not provide counseling. Ask about programs with income-based fees or public funding if cost is a barrier.[19]
For virtual appointments, confirm that the clinician can treat someone in your location and can address your substance-use needs. Use questions about treatment access to compare cost, travel, scheduling and communication support. A convenient appointment still needs to offer the right type of care.
The Racial Equity Support Line previously listed as a resource closed on June 30, 2025. Its operator, Lines for Life, directs people to 988 for support. An old listing of its phone number and weekday hours should not be relied on.[20]
You can begin with one question, such as “What help is available for someone in my situation?” For emotional distress or a mental-health or substance-use crisis, call or text 988 in the United States. You can contact the Lifeline for yourself or someone you care about.[21]
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does Culture Play a Role in Addiction?
Culture can shape how someone understands a problem and whom they turn to for help. Ask a provider to listen to your own beliefs, experiences and preferences. Federal care standards call for services that respond to cultural and language needs, rather than assuming those needs from your background.[6]
What Are the Negative Effects of Addiction on BIPOC Communities?
Addiction can affect health, relationships and daily responsibilities. Racism, unequal access to care and financial or practical barriers can make getting help harder. The effects differ across people and communities. ASAM calls for addiction care that addresses these obstacles alongside treatment.[4][1]
Can I Look for a Therapist Who Shares My Background?
Yes. Melanin & Mental Health offers a directory focused on Black and Latinx communities. Shared background can be one preference to discuss. Also ask about substance-use treatment experience, licensing, fees, language and current openings before booking.[8]
Where Can I Find Help if I Do Not Have Insurance?
Use SAMHSA’s official National Helpline contact information for treatment-referral information, or use FindTreatment.gov. Ask about publicly funded services or fees based on income. The helpline itself does not provide counseling.[19]
Does IHS Eligibility Cover Treatment From an Outside Provider?
Not automatically. Direct care and Purchased/Referred Care, which can help pay for care outside an IHS or Tribal facility, have different requirements. Ask your local service unit about eligibility, authorization and payment before relying on an outside referral.[17]
Get Treatment Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, getting help is just a phone call away, or consider trying therapy online with BetterHelp.
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