During my study I will focus on poverty related to African American males between the ages of 18 and 25 with substance abuse. The recession in the United States continues to highlight this country's experience of poverty and the weaknesses of programs designed to protect families from the effects of poverty. The poverty rate has increased over the past four years and is just starting to stabilize. In 1990, Schwarz (1990) stated that approximately one in five American families lived below the poverty line. According to Lein (2013), it was estimated that as of early 2011, approximately 1.46 million US families with approximately 2.8 million children were surviving on a per capita income per day of $2 or less in a given month. This constitutes nearly 20% of all nonelderly households with children living in poverty. Approximately 866,000 families appear to live in extreme poverty over an entire calendar quarter. The prevalence of extreme poverty increased significantly between 1996 and 2011 (Lein, 2013). According to the NASW (2012), social work has a long history with the war on poverty at all macro, micro and medium levels. It is also one of the six ethical principles according to social workers that make poverty a primary problem. This shows that poverty is not just about money. Poverty arises from multiple political, social and economic factors. The purpose of this study will be to explain why African American males between the ages of 18 and 25 are more likely to live in poverty when dealing with substance abuse. Literature Review Poverty in the United States According to Lein (2013), the poverty rate increased in the United States during the recession. In 2009, the overall US poverty rate was 14%, rising to 15% in 2010, the highest rate… middle of paper… (2013). Child poverty and adult outcomes, employment and health. Family Matters, (93), 27-35.Green, K. M., Doherty, E. E., Reisinger, H. S., Chilcoat, H. D., & Ensminger, M. (2010). Social integration in young adulthood and subsequent onset of substance use and disorders in a community-based population of urban African Americans. Addiction, 105(3), 484-493. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02787.xLein, L. (2013). Poverty and welfare. Family Matters, (93), 17-26.NASW. (2012). Poverty. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/features/issue/poverty.aspRonald L. Taylor. Black youth in crisis. Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, vol. 14, No. 1/2, BLACK AMERICA IN 1987 (AUTUMN/WINTER AND SPRING/SUMMER 1987), pp. 106-133Schwarz, J. E. (1990). WELFARE LIBERALISM, SOCIAL POLICY AND POVERTY IN AMERICA. Review of political studies, 10(1), 127-139.