Alcohol and other drugs: the scope of the problem among pregnant and parenting women in California.

This introductory article provides background information on America's experience with the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs (AODs). Following a brief history, the article presents findings from recent large-scale studies of patterns and consequences of AOD use, including a focus on trends among women and costs of the consequences of AOD use. This article also introduces the subjects to be discussed in later articles of this issue.