Methamphetamine harm shows up quickly in US health data. In 2022, the overdose death rate tied to methamphetamine reached 6.1 per 100,000 people, up 38% from the prior year. That rise tracks with limited access to care, since only 8% of people with substance use disorder received any treatment in the same year.
Key Takeaways
- In the US, 7.1% of people who used methamphetamine reported needing treatment for substance use in the past year (NSDUH 2019)
- In the US, 284,000 emergency department visits in 2022 involved illicit drugs (including stimulants such as methamphetamine), with methamphetamine among the most frequently implicated stimulants
- The US rate of methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths was 6.1 per 100,000 population in 2022
- 7.9% of people with methamphetamine use disorder in the United States received treatment in 2022
- Only 8% of people with substance use disorder in the United States receive any treatment in a given year (SAMHSA/NSDUH-derived measure)
- The global market for addiction treatment services was valued at $36.1 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $65.1 billion by 2030 (meth and other SUDs)
- In the United States, SAMHSA-funded facilities received 1,386,000 admissions for substance use disorders in 2022; methamphetamine-related admissions are captured under stimulant/amphetamine-type categories (Treatment Episode Data Set)
- A meta-analysis estimated that contingency management provides higher abstinence rates with incremental healthcare utilization costs lower than benefits in some analyses (meta-economic evidence)
- The United States spent $$ on substance use disorder treatment; direct costs for drug use disorders were estimated at $76 billion in 2019 (NSDUH-derived economic estimates)
- Drug overdose deaths in the United States were associated with economic costs estimated at $77.0 billion in 2020 (CDC/JAMA economic analysis)
- In the European Union, methamphetamine purity increased by 9% from 2021 to 2022 (EMCDDA)
- In the United States, methamphetamine was detected in 33% of stimulant-related drug test positives in wastewater surveillance (where available) in 2021 (peer-reviewed wastewater study)
- A 2020 systematic review found that stimulant use (including methamphetamine) is associated with a pooled relative risk of HIV acquisition of 1.9 among people who inject drugs
In the US, meth is linked to high treatment need and rising overdose deaths, with limited access to care.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health Impact8 stats
01
In the US, 7.1% of people who used methamphetamine reported needing treatment for substance use in the past year (NSDUH 2019)
02
In the US, 284,000 emergency department visits in 2022 involved illicit drugs (including stimulants such as methamphetamine), with methamphetamine among the most frequently implicated stimulants
03
The US rate of methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths was 6.1 per 100,000 population in 2022
04
Drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine increased by 38% from 2021 to 2022 in the United States
05
In the United Kingdom, 17,455 people were treated for drug misuse where methamphetamine was the main drug in 2022
06
In Sweden, 1,250 people were treated for amphetamine-type stimulant misuse where methamphetamine was the primary stimulant in 2023
07
People with methamphetamine use disorder have elevated risk of psychiatric comorbidity such as depression and anxiety compared with the general population (peer-reviewed review statistic)
08
Methamphetamine use is associated with increased risk of psychosis; a meta-analysis reported an odds ratio of approximately 2 for psychosis among methamphetamine users
Interpretation
Health Impact Interpretation
Health impacts of meth use are substantial in the United States, where methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths rose 38% from 2021 to 2022 and the overdose rate reached 6.1 per 100,000 in 2022, alongside high levels of emergency department visits and a treatment need reported by 7.1% of users.
02 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
7.9% of people with methamphetamine use disorder in the United States received treatment in 2022
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
Under the prevalence lens, only 7.9% of people in the United States with methamphetamine use disorder received treatment in 2022, suggesting most affected individuals were not reached by treatment services.
03 · Category
Treatment Access7 stats
01
Only 8% of people with substance use disorder in the United States receive any treatment in a given year (SAMHSA/NSDUH-derived measure)
02
The global market for addiction treatment services was valued at $36.1 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $65.1 billion by 2030 (meth and other SUDs)
03
In the United States, SAMHSA-funded facilities received 1,386,000 admissions for substance use disorders in 2022; methamphetamine-related admissions are captured under stimulant/amphetamine-type categories (Treatment Episode Data Set)
04
In the US, admissions for methamphetamine as the primary substance were 119,000 in 2022 (TEDS-A, TEDS-NSDUH stimulant category)
05
In 2022, 1.1 million people in the United States received treatment for substance use disorders through specialty treatment programs (SAMHSA)
06
Only 1 in 5 people with opioid use disorder in the United States received evidence-based treatment in 2022; stimulant treatment availability similarly remains limited (NASEM review statistic)
07
A randomized trial found that contingency management increased methamphetamine abstinence rates to 39% in the intervention arm vs 5% in the control arm (K. W. Dalton et al., trial)
Interpretation
Treatment Access Interpretation
Even though methamphetamine use is addressed within the broader stimulant treatment system, treatment access remains extremely limited, with only 8% of Americans with substance use disorder receiving any treatment in a given year and just 1 in 5 people with opioid use disorder getting evidence-based care in 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market & Costs7 stats
01
A meta-analysis estimated that contingency management provides higher abstinence rates with incremental healthcare utilization costs lower than benefits in some analyses (meta-economic evidence)
02
The United States spent $$ on substance use disorder treatment; direct costs for drug use disorders were estimated at $76 billion in 2019 (NSDUH-derived economic estimates)
03
Drug overdose deaths in the United States were associated with economic costs estimated at $77.0 billion in 2020 (CDC/JAMA economic analysis)
04
A cost-effectiveness study estimated contingency management for methamphetamine use disorder at about $8,000per QALY gained (economic evaluation)
05
In 2021, the global market for substance use disorder treatment services was valued at $32.6 billion and projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% through 2030 (vendor report)
06
A 2023 review estimated that emergency care and hospitalizations due to stimulant intoxication create substantial healthcare costs, with methamphetamine among major contributors in many settings (peer-reviewed review)
07
A systematic review found contingency management can reduce methamphetamine use and may be cost-effective compared with standard care in many settings (systematic review economic summary)
Interpretation
Market & Costs Interpretation
Across the Market and Costs landscape, the evidence suggests methamphetamine treatment is increasingly justified financially as contingency management is estimated around $8,000 per QALY gained and stimulant intoxication drives large healthcare expenses, while the broader global substance use disorder treatment services market reached $32.6 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at 6.2 percent annually through 2030.
05 · Category
Trends & Risk4 stats
01
In the European Union, methamphetamine purity increased by 9% from 2021 to 2022 (EMCDDA)
02
In the United States, methamphetamine was detected in 33% of stimulant-related drug test positives in wastewater surveillance (where available) in 2021 (peer-reviewed wastewater study)
03
A 2020 systematic review found that stimulant use (including methamphetamine) is associated with a pooled relative risk of HIV acquisition of 1.9 among people who inject drugs
04
A 2019 peer-reviewed study reported that methamphetamine use increased the risk of tuberculosis in people with substance use disorders with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.7
Interpretation
Trends & Risk Interpretation
Across Europe and the United States, meth-related risk is rising, with methamphetamine purity increasing 9% in the EU from 2021 to 2022 and its presence detected in 33% of stimulant wastewater positives in the US in 2021, while pooled evidence links stimulant use to a 1.9 times higher HIV acquisition risk and meth use to a 1.7 times higher tuberculosis risk among people with substance use disorders.
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
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Meth Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/meth-use-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Meth Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/meth-use-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Meth Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/meth-use-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)