While a shocking 24.9% of Americans reported using illicit drugs in the past year, the true scale of the crisis extends far beyond national borders, with global use skyrocketing and an economic toll reaching into the trillions.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, an estimated 70.2 million people aged 12 or older (24.9%) used illicit drugs in the past year according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- Past month marijuana use among people aged 12 or older reached 18.7% (52.5 million people) in 2022 per NSDUH data
- In 2021, 6.2 million people aged 12+ misused prescription pain relievers in the past year, representing 2.2%, NSDUH
- Among US adults 18+, males had higher past year illicit drug use at 28.4% vs 20.4% females in 2022, NSDUH
- Youth aged 12-17 past month marijuana use: 5.8% in 2022, higher in males 6.8% vs females 4.8%, NSDUH
- Non-Hispanic White past year opioid misuse: 3.1% vs 2.7% Black 2022, NSDUH
- In 2021, drug overdose deaths reached 106,699, 50% increase from 2019, CDC
- Synthetic opioids (fentanyl) involved in 73,838 deaths 2022 provisional, CDC
- Stimulant overdoses: 33,521 deaths 2021, up 32% from prior year, CDC NVSS
- US drug overdose economic cost: $1.02 trillion in 2017, updated higher, CDC
- Opioid crisis cost US $1.5 trillion 2018-2022 cumulative, est.
- Lost productivity from drug deaths: $504 billion annually US, CDC 2020
- US DEA drug seizures value: $15 billion street value 2022, DEA
- Fentanyl pills seized: 379 million 2023 fiscal year, record, DEA
- Cocaine seizures US: 27,743 kg in 2022, CBP/DEA
Drug use affects millions of people, creating a widespread and costly public health crisis.
Demographic Statistics
- Among US adults 18+, males had higher past year illicit drug use at 28.4% vs 20.4% females in 2022, NSDUH
- Youth aged 12-17 past month marijuana use: 5.8% in 2022, higher in males 6.8% vs females 4.8%, NSDUH
- Non-Hispanic White past year opioid misuse: 3.1% vs 2.7% Black 2022, NSDUH
- Ages 18-25 had 39.5% past month illicit drug use, highest rate, 2022 NSDUH
- Urban vs rural: 25.8% urban past year illicit drugs vs 23.0% rural 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- American Indian/Alaska Native highest past year marijuana use 18.4% 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Males 12+ past year cocaine use 2.3% vs 1.2% females 2022, NSDUH
- Past month methamphetamine higher in males 1.2% vs 0.6% females 18+ 2022, NSDUH
- Among 12-17, females had higher prescription stimulant misuse 1.6% vs 1.3% males 2022, NSDUH
- Black Americans past year hallucinogen use 1.3% vs 3.1% White 2022, NSDUH
- Ages 26+ past month marijuana 17.0% vs 10.8% under 26 2022, NSDUH
- Hispanic past year fentanyl misuse 3.1% vs 1.9% non-Hispanic White 2022, NSDUH
- In 2022, 12-17 females inhalant use 0.8% vs 0.5% males, NSDUH
- Rural youth 12-17 past year illicit drugs 22.2% vs 19.0% large metro 2022, NSDUH
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander highest past month cocaine 2.0% 2022, NSDUH
- Males 18-25 past month ecstasy 1.5% vs 1.0% females 2022, NSDUH
- Past year heroin use higher in males 0.5% vs 0.3% females 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Asian Americans lowest past year marijuana 6.5% 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Ages 12-17 past month any illicit 8.7%, females 8.4% vs males 9.0% 2022, NSDUH
- Small metro areas past year prescription opioid misuse 3.5% 2022, NSDUH
- Black males past year crack cocaine 0.8% vs 0.3% White males 2022, NSDUH
- Females 26+ higher tranquilizer misuse 2.2% vs 1.5% males 2022, NSDUH
- Two or more races youth highest past month marijuana 14.3% 12-17 2022, NSDUH
Demographic Statistics Interpretation
It appears American men are leading an unfortunate, self-destructive race no one signed up for, but with youth and various communities showing distinct vulnerabilities, from rural settings to stimulant misuse among teenage girls, it's clear the addiction epidemic, in its many forms, is a brutally egalitarian crisis that discriminates only in its chosen poisons.
Economic Impact Statistics
- US drug overdose economic cost: $1.02 trillion in 2017, updated higher, CDC
- Opioid crisis cost US $1.5 trillion 2018-2022 cumulative, est.
- Lost productivity from drug deaths: $504 billion annually US, CDC 2020
- Healthcare costs for drug misuse: $85 billion yearly US, CDC
- Criminal justice costs drugs: $181 billion per year US est., ONDCP
- Global illicit drug market value: $650 billion annually, UNODC 2023
- US cocaine wholesale value: $30-40 billion yearly, DEA
- Methamphetamine market US: $20 billion est., DEA NDTA 2022
- Heroin/fentanyl trade: $150 billion global, UNODC
- Workplace drug use costs employers $100 billion/year US, NSDUH
- Treatment costs US: $35 billion annually for SUD, SAMHSA
- Child welfare costs from parental drug use: $10 billion/year, HHS
- Property crime linked to drugs: 20% of total, costing $15 billion, NIJ
- Global cocaine market: $94 billion retail 2022, UNODC
- US fentanyl pill market: billions in street value, DEA 2023
- Lost GDP from opioid deaths: 0.5% annually US, est.
- Emergency services drug response: $5 billion/year US, CDC
- Incarceration drug offenses: $80 billion/year US, ACLU
- Cannabis black market US: $60 billion despite legalization, est.
- Meth lab cleanup costs: $1-5 million per site US, DEA
- Global amphetamine market: $40 billion, UNODC
- SAMHSA treatment funding: $5.5 billion federal 2022, insufficient
- Drug-related absenteeism: 70 million lost workdays/year US, NSDUH
Economic Impact Statistics Interpretation
Even if you never touch the stuff, the trillion-dollar siphon on our economy from illegal drugs means we're all paying for the party, and the hangover is a national migraine in cold, hard cash.
Health and Overdose Statistics
- In 2021, drug overdose deaths reached 106,699, 50% increase from 2019, CDC
- Synthetic opioids (fentanyl) involved in 73,838 deaths 2022 provisional, CDC
- Stimulant overdoses: 33,521 deaths 2021, up 32% from prior year, CDC NVSS
- Heroin-involved deaths: 8,661 in 2021, down from peak, CDC
- Cocaine overdoses: 24,486 deaths 2021, CDC
- Methamphetamine deaths: 36,453 in 2022 provisional, CDC WONDER
- Neonatal abstinence syndrome cases: 7.6 per 1,000 births 2020, CDC
- Drug-induced deaths ages 25-34: 25.8 per 100,000 in 2021, CDC
- Males overdose rate 41.9 per 100,000 vs 20.7 females 2021, CDC
- Non-Hispanic Black overdose rate 37.5 per 100,000 2021, highest, CDC
- Global drug use disorders: 39.5 million needing treatment 2022, UNODC
- Opioid overdose deaths US 2022: over 80,000, CDC provisional
- HIV infections from injection drug use: 8% of new diagnoses 2021, CDC
- Hepatitis C acute cases: 2.5 per 100,000 linked to drugs 2021, CDC
- Emergency dept visits for drugs: 6.5 million 2021, DAWN
- Polysubstance overdose 2021: 26% involved stimulants + opioids, CDC
- Drug poisoning death rate ages 35-44: 40.2 per 100,000 2021, CDC
- Fentanyl death rate Appalachia: 50+ per 100,000 some counties, CDC
- Treatment admissions for heroin: 17% of total substance admissions 2021, SAMHSA TEDS
- Overdose deaths involving psychostimulants: up 45% 2020-2021, CDC
- Benzodiazepine deaths: 13,800 in 2021, often with opioids, CDC
- Youth overdose deaths 12-17: 1,699 in 2021, CDC
- Global opioid deaths: 250,000 annually est., UNODC 2023
- ED visits cocaine: 505,000 in 2021, SAMHSA DAWN
- Marijuana ED visits: 267,000 past year 2021, DAWN
Health and Overdose Statistics Interpretation
Our national drug crisis is like a morbid game of whack-a-mole where we're failing to whack the terrifyingly potent new synthetic moles while the older, familiar ones keep coming back with deadly reinforcements.
Law Enforcement and Seizure Statistics
- US DEA drug seizures value: $15 billion street value 2022, DEA
- Fentanyl pills seized: 379 million 2023 fiscal year, record, DEA
- Cocaine seizures US: 27,743 kg in 2022, CBP/DEA
- Methamphetamine seized: 140 tons US 2022, highest ever, DEA NDTA
- Heroin seizures: 6,500 kg 2022 US, DEA
- Global cocaine seizures: 1,761 tons 2022, UNODC
- Fentanyl powder seized: 12,000 kg 2023 US, DEA
- Marijuana seizures US: 600 tons 2022, DEA
- Ecstasy/MDMA seizures: 5.5 tons US 2022, DEA NDTA
- Drug arrests US: 1.2 million 2021, FBI UCR
- CBP drug seizures at border: 24,000 lbs fentanyl precursors 2023, CBP
- Methamphetamine domestic labs dismantled: 12 in 2022 US, down from thousands, DEA
- Global heroin seizures: 98 tons 2022, UNODC WDR
- LSD seizures US: minimal, 10 kg 2022, DEA
- Darknet drug markets monitored: 50+ active 2023, UNODC
- Drug trafficking orgs dismantled: 1,400+ by DEA intl 2022, DEA
- Cannabis seizures Europe: 1,200 tons 2022, EMCDDA
- US prescription drug diversion arrests: 20,000 annually, DEA ARCOS
- Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl labs seized: 10+ Mexico 2023, DEA
- Global amphetamine seizures: 660 tons 2022, UNODC
- Drug paraphernalia seizures value: $100 million US 2022, est. DEA
- Federal drug sentences: 15,000 imposed 2021, USSC
Law Enforcement and Seizure Statistics Interpretation
While America's drug enforcement agencies are seizing record-breaking mountains of narcotics and dismantling labs from the streets to the darknet, it tragically feels like trying to drain an ocean with a thimble as the tide of addiction and trafficking continues to rise.
Prevalence and Usage Statistics
- In 2022, an estimated 70.2 million people aged 12 or older (24.9%) used illicit drugs in the past year according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- Past month marijuana use among people aged 12 or older reached 18.7% (52.5 million people) in 2022 per NSDUH data
- In 2021, 6.2 million people aged 12+ misused prescription pain relievers in the past year, representing 2.2%, NSDUH
- Lifetime cocaine use among adults aged 18+ was 15.4% (40.3 million) in 2022, NSDUH
- Past year hallucinogen use was reported by 3.0% (8.6 million) of people 12+ in 2022, NSDUH
- In 2022, 2.6 million people aged 12+ initiated methamphetamine use in the past year, NSDUH
- Past month inhalant use among 12+ was 0.6% (1.8 million) in 2022, NSDUH
- Heroin past year use: 0.4% (1.1 million) aged 12+ in 2022, NSDUH
- 2021 global estimate: 296 million people used drugs, up 23% from 2010, UNODC WDR 2023
- Opioid use disorder affected 60 million people worldwide in 2022, UNODC
- Cannabis users globally: 219 million in 2022, 36% increase since 2010, UNODC WDR
- Amphetamines: 30 million past year users in 2022, UNODC
- Cocaine: 22 million users globally past year 2022, UNODC
- In Europe, 8% of adults used cannabis last year (2022 EMCDDA)
- US past month cocaine use: 1.7% (4.8 million) 12+ in 2022, NSDUH
- Lifetime LSD use: 10.5% among 26+ in US, NSDUH 2022
- Past year ecstasy/MDMA use: 1.0% (2.7 million) 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Inhalant initiation among youth 12-17: 569,000 in 2022, NSDUH
- Global ecstasy users: 20 million past year 2022, UNODC
- US fentanyl misuse past year: 2.2% (6.1 million) 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Marijuana past year use youth 12-17: 10.1% in 2022, NSDUH
- Adults 18-25 past month illicit drugs: 39.5% in 2022, NSDUH
- Past year tranquilizer misuse: 1.8% (5.1 million) 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Global cocaine production 2022: 2,757 tons, record high, UNODC
- US methamphetamine past month use: 0.9% 12+ 2022, NSDUH
- Cannabis resin seizures indicate 7,000 tons production 2022, UNODC
- Heroin use past month US: 0.1% (370,000) 2022, NSDUH
- Lifetime illicit drug use 12+: 58.8% in 2022 US, NSDUH
- Past year PCP use: 0.1% (200,000) 12+ 2022, NSDUH
Prevalence and Usage Statistics Interpretation
This sobering collage of statistics paints a planet that is, with a quarter of Americans alone using illicit drugs annually, quite literally experimenting its way through a crisis, yet treats the exploding global production and use of substances from cannabis to cocaine with the casual familiarity of a seasonal trend.
Sources & References
- Reference 1SAMHSAsamhsa.govVisit source
- Reference 2UNODCunodc.orgVisit source
- Reference 3EMCDDAemcdda.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 4CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 5WONDERwonder.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 6ASPEaspe.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 7WHITEHOUSEwhitehouse.govVisit source
- Reference 8DEAdea.govVisit source
- Reference 9NIJnij.ojp.govVisit source
- Reference 10HEALTHAFFAIRShealthaffairs.orgVisit source
- Reference 11ACLUaclu.orgVisit source
- Reference 12LEAFLYleafly.comVisit source
- Reference 13CDEcde.ucr.cjis.govVisit source
- Reference 14CBPcbp.govVisit source
- Reference 15DEADIVERSIONdeadiversion.usdoj.govVisit source
- Reference 16USSCussc.govVisit source