Drugs, 

Alcohol

and

HIV/AIDS

A Consumer Guide
HIV/AIDS

What do drugs and alcohol 

have to do with HIV?

Drug and alcohol use can lead to risky behavior that can 

increase your exposure to HIV/AIDS. For example, using 

or sharing needles or other drug materials, like rinse 

water or cotton, increases your chances of becoming 

infected with HIV.

What if I already have HIV?

There are different types of HIV called strains. Even if 

you already have one strain, using drugs puts you at 

risk for being infected with a different one. If you are 

pregnant, you could even infect your unborn baby. 

What if I can’t stop using 

drugs or alcohol?

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Call 

the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration’s [SAMHSA] National Helpline (1-800-

662-HELP [4357]) for help in getting treatment. It can be 

your first step toward recovery. 

If you decide to get drug or alcohol treatment in addition 

to HIV treatment, let your current doctor know. He or she 

can work with your drug or alcohol treatment provider to 

make sure the two types of treatment work together.

Drugs & Alcohol

Did you know?

• Drug	abuse	behavior	plays	the	single

largest	role	in	the	spread	of	HIV	infection

in the United States today.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse, March 2005.
Half of all new HIV infections 

now occur among injection 

drug users.*

What if I can’t handle all of 

this alone?

Don’t worry you don’t have to. Listed on the back of this 

brochure are hotlines and Web sites that can help you 

find good health care, the treatment you need, and even 

a place to live if you need one. Call the toll-free number or 

visit the Web site of your choice today. It could positively 

change your whole life.

* National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2003
You are not alone. 

Help is available.

Call These Toll-Free

24-Hour Phone Numbers

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

Línea Directa (agencia) para Tratamiento de las 

Drogas y el Alcohol

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

National AIDS Hotline

1-800-342-AIDS (2437)

Línea Directa (agencia) Nacional del SIDA

1-800-344-SIDA (7432)

Gay Men’s Health Crisis Hotline

1-800-AIDS-NYC (243-7692)

Or Visit These Web Sites

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator

http://www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/default.html

AIDSinfo

http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov

Office of National AIDS Policy

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/

eop/onap/

American Foundation for AIDS Research

http://www.amfar.org

Or check the box below to see if a treatment

center near you has listed its address and/or 

phone number.

The people who appear in this brochure are models and are used 

for illustrative purposes only. Do not reproduce or distribute this 

publication for a fee without specific, written authorization from the 

Office of Communications, Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services.

This brochure was created to accompany the publication 

Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With HIV/AIDS, #37 

in SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series. 

The TIP series and its affiliated products may be ordered from 

SAMHSA’s Publications Ordering Web page at 

http://store.samhsa.gov. Or, please call SAMHSA at 

1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-77-726-4727) (English and Español).

HHS Publication No. (SMA) 15-4127

Printed 2006

Revised 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2015