Substance Use in Muslim AMERICAN Communities

Substance use within the American Muslim community presents unique challenges influenced by cultural, religious, and social factors. Research indicates that while Muslim Americans may report lower overall substance use compared to the general population, acculturation and the stress of navigating dual identities can increase the risk of substance use. A study found that 46.6% of American Muslim college students reported alcohol use in the past year, with religiosity and parental disapproval serving as protective factors [2]​​. Additionally, qualitative studies highlight that substance use is often hidden due to the stigma surrounding it within Muslim communities [1, 2]​. Addressing these issues requires culturally sensitive prevention and treatment programs that take into account the diverse backgrounds and specific needs of American Muslims [1, 2]​.

This is a multiyear project that involves building a community of experts and developing recovery interventions that are religiously/culturally appropriate and clinically sound. As one part of the project, our goal was to create a recovery resource guide that Muslims in different cities can use as part of their recovery journey. This recovery guide was informed by 20 interviews we did with community organizers, health workers, imams, and spiritual healers from cities across the US. These individuals were involved in offering recovery services to the Muslim community, with some of them having gone through the recovery process themselves. We followed these interviews with two online workshops with seven of the interviewees to think through the format and content of the resource guide. 

Participants shared their experiences on the Miro board during the online workshops.

We used the data from the workshops to design a recovery playbook that outlines the Islamic principles and steps towards recovery. The first draft of the playbook is available to download below. 

REsources

The playbook we designed is intended to help you find resources and guide you through the recovery process. It includes guidelines, recommendations, and resources to assist you in your recovery journey. 

Download the Muslim Recovery Playbook

We have also created a list of recovery resources that Muslim communities across the US can utilize. 

Download full resource list

Download resource list for California

Download resource list for DC, Maryland, and Virginia

Download resource list for Georgia

Download resource list for Illinois

Download resource list for Indiana

Download resource list for Massachusetts

Download resource list for Michigan

Download resource list for Minnesota

Download resource list for Texas