Meth use leaves a measurable footprint across U.S. health data—from the share of people reporting past-year need for substance-use treatment to the scale of emergency visits and overdose deaths. This page maps who is most impacted and where, including methamphetamine-related admissions and gaps between need and treatment access. It also connects meth-related harms to wider risks and conditions, then reviews evidence on interventions and the economic burden shaping policy.
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
Meth use leads to fewer treatments and rising harms, with overdose deaths up 38% from 2021 to 2022.
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)[1]
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[1]
03
The US rate of methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths was 6.1 per 100,000 population in 2022[2]
04
Drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine increased by 38% from 2021 to 2022 in the United States[2]
05
In the United Kingdom, 17,455 people were treated for drug misuse where methamphetamine was the main drug in 2022[3]
06
In Sweden, 1,250 people were treated for amphetamine-type stimulant misuse where methamphetamine was the primary stimulant in 2023[4]
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)[5]
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[6]
Interpretation
Health Impact Interpretation
From a health impact perspective, meth use is showing clear harm signals across countries, including 6.1 meth-involved overdose deaths per 100,000 in the US in 2022 with a 38% jump from 2021 to 2022, alongside major treatment demand such as 17,455 people in the UK treated for meth as the main drug in 2022 and 1,250 people in Sweden treated for meth-dominant stimulant misuse in 2023.
02 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
7.9% of people with methamphetamine use disorder in the United States received treatment in 2022[1]
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In the prevalence framing of meth use, only 7.9% of Americans with methamphetamine use disorder received treatment in 2022, suggesting that a large share of people remain untreated even among those affected.
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)[1]
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)[7]
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)[1]
04
In the US, admissions for methamphetamine as the primary substance were 119,000 in 2022 (TEDS-A, TEDS-NSDUH stimulant category)[1]
05
In 2022, 1.1 million people in the United States received treatment for substance use disorders through specialty treatment programs (SAMHSA)[1]
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)[8]
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)[5]
Interpretation
Treatment Access Interpretation
In the Treatment Access context, just 8% of people with a substance use disorder in the United States receive any treatment in a given year, which is starkly evident when compared with the limited scale of stimulant and related specialty care such as 119,000 methamphetamine-related admissions in 2022 and 1.1 million people receiving substance use disorder treatment overall.
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)[6]
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)[2]
03
Drug overdose deaths in the United States were associated with economic costs estimated at $77.0 billion in 2020 (CDC/JAMA economic analysis)[5]
04
A cost-effectiveness study estimated contingency management for methamphetamine use disorder at about $8,000per QALY gained (economic evaluation)[9]
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)[10]
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)[6]
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)[6]
Interpretation
Market & Costs Interpretation
From a Market and Costs perspective, the evidence suggests that while the US burden of drug use disorders is enormous at $76 billion in 2019 and overdose deaths added $77.0 billion in 2020, contingency management for meth can deliver strong economic value at about $8,000 per QALY gained and the global substance use disorder treatment services market is growing toward $32.6 billion in 2021 at a 6.2 percent CAGR, even as stimulant intoxication still drives substantial emergency and hospitalization costs.
05 · Category
Trends & Risk4 stats
01
In the European Union, methamphetamine purity increased by 9% from 2021 to 2022 (EMCDDA)[11]
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)[12]
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[6]
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[13]
Interpretation
Trends & Risk Interpretation
Across Europe and the United States, meth use is showing clear risk-relevant momentum, with purity rising 9% from 2021 to 2022 in the EU and meth found in 33% of stimulant-related wastewater positives, while related evidence links stimulant use to higher HIV acquisition risk and meth use in people with substance use disorders to increased tuberculosis risk.
Reference
Cite This Report
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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.