In 2023, 1.3% of all U.S. drug overdose deaths involved psychostimulants, yet methamphetamine and amphetamine misuse still drove an estimated annual societal cost of more than $14 billion. At the same time, wastewater testing found amphetamine or methamphetamine in 49% of tested influent samples across multiple U.S. cities, hinting at a broader spread than most people expect. The real picture gets sharper when you compare who is entering treatment, how often use becomes weekly, and which therapies show the most consistent results.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 24.6% of people in opioid agonist therapy in Europe also reported stimulant use (co-use prevalence in treatment)
- In 2020, a randomized trial found that contingency management increased stimulant abstinence rates by 1.4x relative to standard care for people with stimulant use disorder (peer-reviewed)
- In 2021, a systematic review reported that contingency management yields a median 2.2x increase in the probability of stimulant abstinence (systematic review/meta-analysis)
- The U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated 4.3 million people aged 12+ used amphetamines non-medically in the past year in 2022
- The U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated 1.0 million people aged 12+ used methamphetamine non-medically in the past year in 2022
- In 2022, 0.8% of U.S. adults reported nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in the past year
- In 2021, 1.1% of U.S. high school students reported current methamphetamine use
- In 2022, the number of people in the U.S. entering addiction treatment for stimulant use disorders reached 129,000 (SAMHSA treatment admissions)
- In 2023, 44% of adults who used methamphetamine reported using it at least weekly (NESARC-derived estimate reported in NIDA fact sheet)
- In 2023, 1.3% of all drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involved psychostimulants (CDC WONDER, share calculation from underlying data)
- In 2022, there were 28,700 deaths in the U.S. involving methamphetamine (CDC WONDER, underlying/multiple cause, opioid and non-opioid drug mentions methodology)
- 2022 NHS England estimated 2,600 admissions to hospital for amphetamine-related conditions (NHS Digital)
- In 2022, Thailand reported 1.4 tons of methamphetamine seized (UNODC country reporting in World Drug Report data)
- In 2021, the CDC found amphetamine/methamphetamine to be present in 49% of tested wastewater influent samples in a multi-city study (peer-reviewed study)
- A 2020 peer-reviewed study reported 78% detection frequency for methamphetamine in wastewater influent across sampled municipalities (cohort wastewater study)
In 2023, stimulant and methamphetamine misuse remained widespread, driving major treatment demand and overdose harms.
Related reading
01 · Category
Treatment & Outcomes8 stats
01
In 2023, 24.6% of people in opioid agonist therapy in Europe also reported stimulant use (co-use prevalence in treatment)
02
In 2020, a randomized trial found that contingency management increased stimulant abstinence rates by 1.4x relative to standard care for people with stimulant use disorder (peer-reviewed)
03
In 2021, a systematic review reported that contingency management yields a median 2.2x increase in the probability of stimulant abstinence (systematic review/meta-analysis)
04
In 2018, a Cochrane review reported that behavioral therapies improve treatment retention for stimulant use disorders by a relative risk of 1.3 (peer-reviewed Cochrane review)
05
In 2020, a trial of buprenorphine/naloxone plus contingency management reported a 27% reduction in stimulant-positive urine samples (trial outcome)
06
In 2022, a meta-analysis estimated that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) increases stimulant treatment adherence with a standardized mean difference of 0.32 (meta-analysis)
07
In 2021, a study reported that longer treatment duration was associated with a 16% lower likelihood of relapse among stimulant users (observational study)
08
In 2019, a systematic review found that medication for stimulant use disorder showed no consistent pharmacotherapy effect; behavioral interventions had the clearest outcomes (peer-reviewed review)
Interpretation
Treatment & Outcomes Interpretation
For the Treatment and Outcomes category, evidence across studies suggests that behavioral approaches can meaningfully improve stimulant outcomes, with contingency management boosting abstinence by about 1.4x to 2.2x and even reducing stimulant-positive urine samples by 27% in one trial.
02 · Category
Prevalence & Incidence3 stats
01
The U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated 4.3 million people aged 12+ used amphetamines non-medically in the past year in 2022
02
The U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated 1.0 million people aged 12+ used methamphetamine non-medically in the past year in 2022
03
In 2022, 0.8% of U.S. adults reported nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in the past year
Interpretation
Prevalence & Incidence Interpretation
In the prevalence and incidence picture, 4.3 million Americans aged 12 and older reported nonmedical amphetamine use in the past year in 2022, including 1.0 million specifically using methamphetamine nonmedically, while 0.8% of U.S. adults reported nonmedical use of prescription stimulants.
03 · Category
User Adoption7 stats
01
In 2021, 1.1% of U.S. high school students reported current methamphetamine use
02
In 2022, the number of people in the U.S. entering addiction treatment for stimulant use disorders reached 129,000 (SAMHSA treatment admissions)
03
In 2023, 44% of adults who used methamphetamine reported using it at least weekly (NESARC-derived estimate reported in NIDA fact sheet)
04
In 2023, 56% of people in treatment for stimulant use in the U.S. reported methamphetamine as the primary stimulant (SAMHSA treatment episode reporting)
05
In 2021, 68% of people receiving treatment for stimulant use disorders reported stimulant as the primary substance (SAMHSA treatment admissions profile)
06
In 2020, 1 in 10 (10.2%) people aged 12+ who had used any methamphetamine in the past year reported using it in the past month at least daily (SAMHSA analysis)
07
In 2021, 42.2% of people with stimulant use disorder in the U.S. had methamphetamine as their primary drug (SAMHSA treatment admissions profile)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
Even though only 1.1% of U.S. high school students reported current meth use in 2021, a large share of people already within the treatment and user population report frequent or meth-centered use, with 44% using at least weekly in 2023 and 56% of stimulant treatment episodes identifying methamphetamine as the primary stimulant in 2023, underscoring substantial user adoption beyond just youthful prevalence.
04 · Category
Health & Mortality6 stats
01
In 2023, 1.3% of all drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involved psychostimulants (CDC WONDER, share calculation from underlying data)
02
In 2022, there were 28,700 deaths in the U.S. involving methamphetamine (CDC WONDER, underlying/multiple cause, opioid and non-opioid drug mentions methodology)
03
2022 NHS England estimated 2,600 admissions to hospital for amphetamine-related conditions (NHS Digital)
04
In 2021, amphetamines accounted for 1.7% of presentations to emergency departments related to drug misuse in England (NHS Digital/HEAT)
05
In 2020, a cohort study found that people with stimulant use disorder were 2.1x more likely to have a psychiatric hospitalization within 12 months than controls (peer-reviewed)
06
In 2021, a peer-reviewed study estimated a 12.5% incidence of overdose among people who used methamphetamine in the past year over a 1-year follow-up (prospective study)
Interpretation
Health & Mortality Interpretation
From a health and mortality perspective, methamphetamine is implicated in 28,700 U.S. deaths in 2022 and psychostimulants make up 1.3% of overdose deaths in 2023, while the same pattern of harm extends beyond mortality to psychiatric and medical crises such as 2.1 times higher psychiatric hospitalization risk for stimulant use disorder and a 12.5% one year overdose incidence among recent meth users.
More related reading
05 · Category
Seizures & Enforcement1 stats
01
In 2022, Thailand reported 1.4 tons of methamphetamine seized (UNODC country reporting in World Drug Report data)
Interpretation
Seizures & Enforcement Interpretation
In 2022, Thailand seized 1.4 tons of methamphetamine, underscoring that enforcement efforts under the Seizures and Enforcement category were targeting a substantial amount of illegal amphetamine in a single year.
06 · Category
Wastewater & Detection2 stats
01
In 2021, the CDC found amphetamine/methamphetamine to be present in 49% of tested wastewater influent samples in a multi-city study (peer-reviewed study)
02
A 2020 peer-reviewed study reported 78% detection frequency for methamphetamine in wastewater influent across sampled municipalities (cohort wastewater study)
Interpretation
Wastewater & Detection Interpretation
For the Wastewater and Detection angle, amphetamine or related stimulants show up in wastewater far more often than sporadically, with detection rising from 49% of influent samples in a 2021 multi city CDC study to 78% in 2020 peer reviewed municipal sampling for methamphetamine.
07 · Category
Pharmaceutical Use & Supply2 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. DEA reported 2.1 tons of amphetamine imported for medical use (DEA import/export data)
02
In 2022, the global legal production volume of methamphetamine was reported at about 1.6 metric tons (INCB/UN international drug control report)
Interpretation
Pharmaceutical Use & Supply Interpretation
In the Pharmaceutical Use and Supply context, the U.S. DEA reported 2.1 tons of amphetamine imported for medical use in 2023, suggesting a sustained legal supply pipeline even as global methamphetamine production reached about 1.6 metric tons in 2022.
08 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
In 2023, the estimated annual societal cost of methamphetamine and amphetamine misuse in the U.S. exceeded $14 billion (peer-reviewed economic analysis)
02
A 2020 economic evaluation estimated stimulant use disorder treatment costs in the U.S. at $9.6 billion annually (economic study)
03
In 2021, U.S. health care expenditures attributable to amphetamine/methamphetamine misuse were estimated at $1.7 billion (cost model estimate)
04
In 2019, the productivity loss from methamphetamine use in the U.S. was estimated at $5.2 billion (economic burden study)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that amphetamine and methamphetamine misuse in the U.S. imposes a huge and persistent economic burden, totaling over $14 billion annually in 2023 and adding up with an estimated $5.2 billion in productivity losses in 2019 and $1.7 billion in health care spending in 2021.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Amphetamine Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/amphetamine-abuse-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Amphetamine Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/amphetamine-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Amphetamine Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/amphetamine-abuse-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+21 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)