Drug abuse harms millions of people and shows up across settings—from non-medical stimulant use to prescription and opioid misuse. In the U.S., 19.4% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days in 2023, and 0.6% of people aged 12+ used non-medical stimulants in 2022. We'll explore who is affected, where the risk is concentrated, and how treatment access and overdose patterns shape spending, services, and outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- 0.8 million people received opioid agonist therapy in 2019
- 3.8 million people accessed opioid agonist therapy in low and middle-income countries in 2020
- 1 in 8 people with substance use disorder received treatment in 2017-2018
- 0.6% of people aged 12 and older in the United States used non-medical stimulants in 2022
- 19.4% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days in 2023
- 46.3% of people who misused prescription opioids in the past year reported first using prescription opioids by getting them for free from a friend or relative (2018, U.S.)
- 10.0% of people with substance use disorder in the U.S. used emergency departments for substance use disorder-related care in 2019
- 1.1 million U.S. residents used medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in 2022 (estimate combining MOUD enrollment sources)
- In 2023, 66.0% of U.S. opioid treatment programs offered take-home doses meeting at least one expanded policy criterion (survey of OTPs)
- Approximately 81,000 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2021
- In the U.S., 45.1% of people with an opioid use disorder received evidence-based treatment in 2022
- In the U.S., 52,000 facilities provided medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2023
- $24.6 billion in opioid-related health spending occurred in the U.S. in 2017
- Opioid use disorder treatment admissions in the U.S. totaled 1.6 million in 2022
- The global opioid agonist therapy market size was estimated at $1.8 billion in 2023
Millions used opioids and other drugs, yet most with substance use disorder still lack effective treatment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
$24.6 billion in opioid-related health spending occurred in the U.S. in 2017
02
Opioid use disorder treatment admissions in the U.S. totaled 1.6 million in 2022
03
The global opioid agonist therapy market size was estimated at $1.8 billion in 2023
04
The global substance use disorder treatment market was valued at $35.6 billion in 2023
05
The global drug testing market was estimated at $6.6 billion in 2023
06
In 2023, the global market for addiction treatment (all substance use disorders) was valued at $94.1 billion (reporting by vendor-compiled market intelligence)
07
$2.9 billion global naloxone market value in 2023 (estimate in vendor research report)
08
$3.4 billion U.S. substance use disorder treatment software market size in 2024 (estimated by market research firm)
09
$2.6 billion global drug addiction diagnostics market in 2024 (estimated by market intelligence firm)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size category, the drug abuse treatment and related industries are already substantial and still expanding, with the global addiction treatment market reaching $94.1 billion in 2023 alongside $35.6 billion for substance use disorder treatment and a $6.6 billion global drug testing market.
02 · Category
Industry Trends7 stats
01
10.0% of people with substance use disorder in the U.S. used emergency departments for substance use disorder-related care in 2019
02
1.1 million U.S. residents used medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in 2022 (estimate combining MOUD enrollment sources)
03
In 2023, 66.0% of U.S. opioid treatment programs offered take-home doses meeting at least one expanded policy criterion (survey of OTPs)
04
In 2024, 56.0% of U.S. substance use disorder treatment facilities reported using telehealth for at least part of their services (survey)
05
In 2023, 74.0% of U.S. harm-reduction organizations reported stocking naloxone kits (organizational survey)
06
In 2022, 52 countries reported having at least one overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) program (IOM status reporting)
07
In 2022, 71.0% of opioid prescribing clinicians used at least one guideline-recommended risk mitigation strategy (risk assessment, PDMP check, or naloxone co-prescribing)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that access and delivery models for treatment and overdose prevention are expanding rapidly, with 56.0% of substance use disorder facilities using telehealth in 2024 and 74.0% of harm-reduction organizations stocking naloxone kits in 2023.
03 · Category
Costs & Impact5 stats
01
In 2022, 5.1% of U.S. adults (18+) reported past-year misuse of prescription drugs, corresponding to 14.6 million people
02
In 2021, 39.0% of overdose deaths in the U.S. involved synthetic opioids (fentanyl and fentanyl analogs)
03
In 2022, substance use contributed to 17.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in the U.S. (all substances combined, Global Burden of Disease estimates)
04
In 2020, illicit drug use accounted for 0.9% of global DALYs (Global Burden of Disease estimate)
05
In 2022, 2.8% of global adults reported using an illicit drug at least once in the past year (UNODC estimate cited in The Lancet Commission report)
Interpretation
Costs & Impact Interpretation
The Costs & Impact picture is stark: in 2022 substance use caused 17.6 million DALYs in the United States and 2.8% of the world’s adults reported illicit drug use, while in 2021 synthetic opioids were involved in 39.0% of U.S. overdose deaths, showing how drug misuse translates into measurable harm and fatal outcomes.
More related reading
04 · Category
Treatment Access3 stats
01
0.8 million people received opioid agonist therapy in 2019
02
3.8 million people accessed opioid agonist therapy in low and middle-income countries in 2020
03
1 in 8 people with substance use disorder received treatment in 2017-2018
Interpretation
Treatment Access Interpretation
From a treatment access perspective, only about 1 in 8 people with substance use disorder received care in 2017 to 2018, even though opioid agonist therapy reached 0.8 million people in 2019 and 3.8 million people in low and middle-income countries in 2020.
05 · Category
Prevalence3 stats
01
0.6% of people aged 12 and older in the United States used non-medical stimulants in 2022
02
19.4% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days in 2023
03
46.3% of people who misused prescription opioids in the past year reported first using prescription opioids by getting them for free from a friend or relative (2018, U.S.)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
Under the prevalence category, drug and alcohol misuse is not widespread but still reaches millions, with 0.6% of Americans aged 12 and older using non-medical stimulants in 2022 alongside a much higher 19.4% of high school students reporting binge drinking in 2023.
06 · Category
Industry Overview13 stats
01
In 2022, 11.3 million people in the U.S. aged 12+ reported misuse of prescription drugs in the past year
02
NIDA reported that 29.8% of U.S. adults who used any illicit drug in 2023 had a substance use disorder (NESARC-III, 2012–2013 cohort context cited by NIDA)
03
Naloxone availability increased from 2016 to 2022: 34.0% of communities reported distributing naloxone in 2016 vs 61.0% in 2022 (survey of local programs)
04
In the U.S., 45.1% of people with an opioid use disorder received evidence-based treatment in 2022
05
In the U.S., 52,000 facilities provided medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2023
06
Approximately 81,000 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2021
07
In 2024, 38 U.S. states allowed pharmacies to dispense naloxone under standing orders
08
2016: 16.0% of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions in the U.S. were treated in specialty/addiction facilities in 2016
09
2017: 17.0% of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions in the U.S. were treated in specialty/addiction facilities in 2017
10
2018: 18.0% of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions in the U.S. were treated in specialty/addiction facilities in 2018
11
2019: 18.7% of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions in the U.S. were treated in specialty/addiction facilities in 2019
12
2020: 20.1% of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions in the U.S. were treated in specialty/addiction facilities in 2020
13
2021: 21.4% of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions in the U.S. were treated in specialty/addiction facilities in 2021
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the industry landscape, opioid harm and response efforts are moving in opposite directions, with naloxone distribution rising from 34.0% of communities in 2016 to 61.0% in 2022 while about 81,000 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths still occurred in 2021 and only 45.1% of people with an opioid use disorder received evidence-based treatment in 2022.
report visual · Projection
Share of OUD admissions treated in specialty/addiction facilities (U.S.)
The percentage of opioid use disorder (OUD) admissions treated in specialty/addiction facilities rises each year, led by 2021 as the highest share, exceeding the 2016 level by a cl
16 percent
Start
+5.99%
CAGR · 5y
21.4 percent
Projected
20162021
source-verifiedsamhsa.gov2021
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
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Drug Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drug-abuse-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Drug Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/drug-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Drug Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drug-abuse-statistics.
Sources & references
40 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)