Statistics On Addiction In America

Whether it’s a problem with alcohol,opioids,cocaine, or any othersubstance, addiction kills thousands of Americans every year and impacts millions of lives.Addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), is a chronicmental health condition.

Because an SUDaffects the brain’s normal functions, it can compel someone to repeatedly use substances or engage in behaviors even though they have harmful consequences. Addictions can destroy marriages, friendships, and careers and threaten a person’s basic health and safety due to the manyhealth issues they cause.

• Almost 40.3 million people in the United States have a SUD, yet only 6.3% of them receiveaddiction treatment.
• About 25% of people who useillicit drugs develop an addiction.
• 24% of people who with a drug disorder have an opioid use disorder.
• In 2024, the federal budget approved for drug control was nearing $45 billion.
• About 21.2 million adults who have a SUD also have a mental illness.
• More than 70% of people who tried an illegal drug before the age of 13 have an addiction to alcohol or drugs.
• Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 are most likely to use addictive drugs.

Statistics On Alcohol Addiction And Abuse

Alcohol is the most widely abused substance in the US, yet alcoholism is often left untreated. An addiction to alcohol can be detrimental to a person’s physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

• 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 12 have an alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• Alcohol is responsible for 2.6 million deaths annually worldwide.
• About 178,307 deaths are attributed annually to alcohol in the US.
• 65.8% of alcohol-related deaths are due to chronic misuse.
• About 20% of American adults (about 28 million people) have an AUD; only about 7% of those people ever get treatment.
• Approximately 12,429drunk driving deaths occur annually in the US.
• Almost 70% of DUI-related fatalities involved a driver with aBAC over 0.15.
• Overall, 47,5000 deaths can be attributed to adverselong-term health effects from alcohol use.

Statistics On Opioid Addiction And Abuse

Opioids are a class of drugs which block sensations of pain and cause euphoria. They are dangerous because they pose very high risks for addiction andoverdose. Opioids are an ingredient in many pain-relieving medications. Since they are controlled substances, drug traffickers also sell them illegally. Opioids, both illegal andprescription opioids, have caused a surge of deaths in the US over the past two decades.

• About 80,000 people die annually from opioid overdose.
• Approximately 9 million people misuse opioids every year.
• Approximately 3.8% of Americans have an opioid use disorder.
• Opioids are involved in 7 out of every 10 overdose deaths.
• About 75.6% of all overdose deaths are attributed to opioids.
• 69.3% of all overdose deaths are attributed to synthetic opioids, primarilyfentanyl.
• Overdose deaths involving any type of opioid decreased from an estimated 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024.

Statistics On Heroin Addiction And Abuse

Heroin is a powerful and addictive opioid. It is an illegal drug which poses serious risks for overdose. Heroin, especiallyheroin mixed with fentanyl, has been a major contributor to theopioid epidemic in the United States.

• Almost 6.25 million Americans will use heroin at least once in their lifetime.
• Annually, over 902,000 Americans use heroin regularly.
• Almost 80% of people who currently use heroin first misused prescription opioids.
• Roughly 7.27% of opioid users misuse heroin.
• Heroin makes up 1.5% of all illicit drug use in the US.
• Approximately 15,000 opioid-related overdoses involve heroin.

Statistics On Marijuana Addiction And Abuse

Marijuana is a psychoactive drug which comes from a THC-bearing plant. It is becoming increasingly legal throughout the US, both for medicine and for recreation, but it’s still not completely safe because it may be addictive and cause health problems.

• About 55 million Americans smoke marijuana every year.
• About 45% of American adults admit to trying marijuana.
• About 31% of people who regularly use marijuana have a marijuana use disorder.
• According to the CDC, 40% of high schoolers have tried marijuana.
• Roughly 10% of all marijuana users will become addicted to the drug.
• Around 13% of all who start using the drug as minors become addicted.

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Statistics On Nicotine Addiction And Abuse

As of 2019, anyone over the age of 21 in the US can easily purchase a box ofcigarettes. Although cigarettes are legal and accessible, they cause a variety of fatal health conditions and are also addictive.

• As of 2021, about 28 million Americans smoke cigarettes.
• Each day, roughly 1,600 young people smoke a cigarette for the first time.
• About 13% of American men and about 10% of American women smoke cigarettes.
• Globally, tobacco use is the cause of 7 million deaths annually.
• The World Health Organization reports that 1 in 5 adults is addicted to tobacco.
• Over 16 million Americans have a smoking-related illness.
• Smoking cigarettes is the cause of over 480,000 deaths every year in the United States.

Statistics On Cocaine Addiction And Abuse

Cocaine is an illegalstimulant. Whether it comes in the form of powder or crystal (commonly called “crack”), cocaine can damage organs, provoke mental disorders, and cause respiratory failure. Cocaine is also highly addictive. Some cocaine users may become addicted after using the drug only once.

• About 2.2 million Americans are regular cocaine users.
• 1.4 million people reported having a cocaine use disorder in 2021.
• In 2020, almost 1% of 8th graders had used crack.
• In 2021, 24.486 people died fromcocaine overdose.
• Nearly 1 in 5 drug overdose deaths in 2023 were cocaine-related
• Americans between the ages of 18 to 25 use cocaine more than any other age group.

Statistics On Methamphetamine Addiction And Abuse

Methamphetamine, commonly called meth, is a controlled substance which has a high potential for abuse, overdose, and addiction. As an illegal drug, meth is usually sold as “crystal” (white rocks or fragments) to be burned andsmoked. Meth is highly addictive and dangerous for a person’s health.

• About 2.6 million Americans are regular meth users.
• Approximately 1.6 million Americans have a methamphetamine use disorder.
• Meth use is more prevalent in males (1.2%) than females (0.6%).
• The DEA obtained over 117,000 pounds of meth in 2019.
• Just over 0.5% of 12th graders had tried meth as of 2021.

Approximately 32,537 people died from an overdose involving psychostimulants other than cocaine (primarily methamphetamine) in 2021.

Statistics On Hallucinogen Addiction And Abuse

Hallucinogens are a category of mind-altering drugs.Psilocybin mushrooms,DMT,mescaline,LSD,PCP,ketamine,ecstasy, andsalvia are all hallucinogenic drugs.  They are all illegal and they all carry risks for traumatizing hallucinations, impaired judgment, and addiction.

• About 1.4 million people in the United States are regular hallucinogen users. About 143,000 of them are minors between the ages of 12 and 17.
• Approximately 1.1 million Americans first try a hallucinogen annually.
• 1% of youth aged 12-17 had used LSD as of 2023.
• 36% of Americans aged 40 and over reported regular hallucinogen use.
• Roughly 20 million Americans have taken LSD.

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Statistics On Inhalant Addiction And Abuse

Inhalants are a group of solvents, gases, and aerosol sprays which people inhale to get high. Inhalants are household objects like nail polish, glue, hair spray, and whipped cream canisters (whippits), but they can have mind-altering effects. “Huffing” inhalants can cause a person to lose consciousness or develop addiction.

• More than 23 million Americans have tried an inhalant at least once in their lives.
• About 2.2 million Americans used an inhalant in the past year.
• About 335,000 people had an inhalant use disorder in 2021.
• Inhalants, like gasoline and paint, are the most used drugs among lower-income drug users.
• Inhalants contribute to about 15% of deaths by suffocation every year.

Get Help For Addiction Today

Addiction to any substance is a serious problem. If you leave addiction untreated, it could stop your life in its tracks. Because an SUD is a progressive disorder, its effects and severity will only worsen over time without treatment.

Fortunately, there are many rehab facilities and recovery centers throughout the country where anyone can get the treatment they need to achieve sobriety. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and you need more information on where to start,contact a treatment provider or visit ourrehab directory today.