United States Public Health and Alert Systems:

The United States maintains several critical public health and emergency alert systems designed to protect citizens and facilitate rapid response. Faith communities must understand and integrate awareness of these systems into their ministry operations.

Emergency Alert System (EAS) — National public warning system coordinated by FEMA, FCC, and the National Weather Service. Used for presidential alerts, imminent threat alerts, and AMBER Alerts. Delivered through broadcast media, cable, satellite, and wireless carriers.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) — Cell-based alerts pushed directly to mobile devices. Categories include Extreme Threat Alerts, Severe Threat Alerts, AMBER Alerts, Blue Alerts, and Public Safety Messages. As of 2025, WEA supports multimedia content and enhanced geotargeting.

AMBER Alert (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) — Established in 1996 after the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Texas. Used in all 50 states, D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and 45 countries internationally. As of December 2025, 1,292 children have been successfully recovered through the AMBER Alert system, and 241 children have been rescued through wireless emergency alerts. There are 81 AMBER Alert plans throughout the United States.

Silver Alert — Issued when a vulnerable adult, typically age 65 or older, or an adult with cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, goes missing. Alerts include the person’s name, age, photo, vehicle description, and last known location.

Blue Alert — Activated when a suspect who has seriously injured or killed a law enforcement officer is on the run and poses a threat to the public. Currently used in 36 states. First established in Florida in 2008 as the “LEO Alert.”

Ashanti Alert — Established by the Ashanti Alert Act of 2018, named in honor of Ashanti Billie, who was abducted and killed in 2017. A voluntary nationwide communication network to aid in the search and recovery of missing adults between the ages of 18 and 64.

Endangered Missing Person Alert — Similar to Silver Alerts, but may include missing adults under 65 with medical or mental health concerns.

National Human Trafficking Hotline — Operated by Polaris Project. Since its inception, it has received 463,109 signals and identified 112,822 cases of human trafficking involving 218,568 victims. In 2024 alone, 32,309 signals were received, of which 8,024 were from victims or survivors directly. Call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733.

SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357. Free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and substance use disorders.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 for 24/7 crisis support for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health crises, or emotional distress.

National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). 24/7 confidential support for individuals affected by domestic violence.

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline— 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Operated by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) — 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Cyber Tipline for reporting online exploitation of children.

NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) — A national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases operated by the U.S. Department of Justice. Currently tracks 65,584 open missing-person cases, 9,206 open unidentified-person cases, and 7,121 open unclaimed-person cases. ‍ ‍

‍ ‍ Drug Abuse:

Indicator: ‍ Global Data:‍ ‍Source:

Total drug users (excluding 316 million (6% of the global UNODC World Drug alcohol/tobacco), 2023 population aged 15–64) Report 2025

Cannabis users 244 million UNODC 2025

Opioid users 61 million UNODC 2025

Amphetamine users 30.7 million UNODC 2025

Cocaine users 25 million UNODC 2025

Ecstasy users 21 million UNODC 2025

Deaths attributable to drug use disorders (2021) Over 500,000 deaths; 28 million DALYs lost