In the United States, about 39% of overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. Treatment access still lags behind need. Only 1 in 8 people with a substance use disorder received treatment in 2017 to 2018, while 0.6% of people aged 12 and older reported non-medical stimulant use in 2022. The gap between exposure to risk and access to care shows up across the data.
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
Opioids drive major U.S. and global harm, but treatment access and naloxone expansion are growing.
Related reading
01 · 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
Treatment access for substance use remains limited globally, with only 1 in 8 people with substance use disorder receiving treatment in 2017 to 2018, while opioid agonist therapy reached 0.8 million people in 2019 and rose to 3.8 million in low and middle income countries in 2020.
02 · 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
Within the prevalence of drug and alcohol misuse in the United States, binge drinking among high school students is widespread at 19.4% in the past 30 days in 2023 while only 0.6% of adults 12 and older reported using non-medical stimulants in 2022, and for prescription opioid misuse a large share of 46.3% first obtained opioids for free from friends or relatives in 2018.
03 · 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 are moving toward broader coverage and modernization, with 56.0% of U.S. substance use disorder facilities using telehealth in 2024 and 74.0% of harm-reduction organizations stocking naloxone in 2023.
04 · Category
Mortality1 stats
01
Approximately 81,000 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2021
Interpretation
Mortality Interpretation
In the mortality category, about 81,000 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021 show how devastating fentanyl’s role has been in driving fatalities.
05 · Category
Treatment Coverage2 stats
01
In the U.S., 45.1% of people with an opioid use disorder received evidence-based treatment in 2022
02
In the U.S., 52,000 facilities provided medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2023
Interpretation
Treatment Coverage Interpretation
For Treatment Coverage, the U.S. reached 52,000 facilities offering MOUD in 2023, yet only 45.1% of people with an opioid use disorder received evidence-based treatment in 2022, showing coverage is expanding but still not reaching most people.
More related reading
06 · 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
In the market size view, spending and commercialization across addiction care are scaling fast, with the global substance use disorder treatment market reaching $35.6 billion in 2023 alongside a $94.1 billion global addiction treatment market and a $6.6 billion drug testing market that together signal a rapidly expanding ecosystem for drug abuse treatment and related services.
07 · Category
Policy And Law Enforcement1 stats
01
In 2024, 38 U.S. states allowed pharmacies to dispense naloxone under standing orders
Interpretation
Policy And Law Enforcement Interpretation
In 2024, 38 U.S. states allowed pharmacies to dispense naloxone under standing orders, showing expanding policy-driven law enforcement and public health efforts to improve overdose response access.
08 · 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
Even though illicit drug use affected 2.8% of global adults in 2022, substance use still translated into major costs, including 17.6 million DALYs in the United States in 2022 and 39.0% of U.S. overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, underscoring the outsized costs and impact beyond prevalence alone.
09 · Category
Treatment3 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)
Interpretation
Treatment Interpretation
From a treatment perspective, the share of people facing care needs remains substantial while access to lifesaving interventions is expanding, with 11.3 million U.S. residents aged 12 and older reporting misuse of prescription drugs in 2022 and 29.8% of adults using illicit drugs in 2023 having a substance use disorder, alongside a sharp rise in naloxone distribution from 34.0% of communities in 2016 to 61.0% in 2022.
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
34 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)