The former Soviet Union has historically had problems with alcohol abuse among its population. This drug abusing population became more visible after the fall of the communist regime. Contributing to this visibility is the fact that large numbers of residents have migrated to western countries and to Israel, spiking the rates of immigrants with substance abuse problems. The authors describe the exploratory data regarding AOD abuse among former Soviet Union immigrants to Israel, Germany, and the United States. The role of religion and ethnicity in both immigration choices and AOD problems is explored, which is especially interesting given the fact that, in accordance with the former communist ideology, most former Soviets grew up without a religious or spiritual belief system. Despite the widespread problem of AOD abuse among immigrants from the former Soviet Union little is known about how to effectively treat this population. The authors discuss the barriers to treatment for this population, which include language barriers and lack of awareness about treatment programs. The authors suggest that countries who host a large number of immigrants with AOD problems should focus on culturally relevant programs and treatments for this population in order to meet their unique treatment needs. References