Teenage Drug Abuse Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Teenage Drug Abuse Statistics

With only 5.0% of students reporting illicit drug use in the past 30 days and 7.6% reporting alcohol, the overall picture looks less dire than the risk underneath. This page tracks how marijuana stands out at 3.8% for 12th graders and how opioid deaths and overdose care have climbed, including 91.0% of adolescent overdose deaths involving opioids, so you can see what “small percentages” actually cost.

130 statistics28 sources6 sections14 min readUpdated 9 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

5.0% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 2

1.3% of students reported using marijuana (THC) daily or near-daily in 2023

Statistic 3

3.8% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 4

2.0% of 12th graders reported using vaping nicotine in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 5

1.2% of 10th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 6

0.8% of 8th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 7

3.7% of students reported using marijuana at least once in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 8

2.0% of students reported using prescription drugs (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 9

0.7% of students reported using cocaine in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 10

0.2% of students reported using heroin in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 11

0.9% of students reported using hallucinogens in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 12

0.3% of students reported using inhalants in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 13

1.6% of students reported using any prescription opioid (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 14

0.4% of students reported using MDMA/ecstasy in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 15

0.6% of students reported using synthetic marijuana (“K2/Spice”) in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 16

0.5% of students reported using misused prescription stimulants in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 17

1.0% of 12th graders reported using prescription sedatives (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 18

0.6% of 10th graders reported using prescription sedatives (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 19

0.4% of 8th graders reported using prescription sedatives (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 20

2.5% of students reported using marijuana one or more times in the past 12 months in 2023

Statistic 21

1.0% of students reported using any illicit drug one or more times in the past 12 months in 2023

Statistic 22

7.6% of students reported using alcohol in the past 30 days in 2023

Statistic 23

2.6% of students reported binge drinking (5+ drinks in a row in past 2 weeks) in 2023

Statistic 24

0.7% of students reported using inhalants in the past 12 months in 2023

Statistic 25

0.6% of students reported using hallucinogens in the past 12 months in 2023

Statistic 26

0.4% of students reported using cocaine in the past 12 months in 2023

Statistic 27

0.2% of students reported using heroin in the past 12 months in 2023

Statistic 28

3.8% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days in 2022

Statistic 29

4.2% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2019

Statistic 30

4.0% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2020

Statistic 31

4.3% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2021

Statistic 32

5.1% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2017

Statistic 33

2.1% of high school students reported using cocaine in their lifetime (2015)

Statistic 34

6.9% of high school students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 35

2.5% of high school students reported using opioids without a prescription in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 36

6.1% of high school students reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 37

11.5% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 38

7.4% of high school students reported using vaping products in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 39

3.3% of high school students reported current use of marijuana (past 30 days) in 2021

Statistic 40

3.2% of high school students reported using synthetic marijuana (“K2/Spice”) in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 41

1.7% of high school students reported using cocaine in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 42

0.8% of high school students reported using heroin in their lifetime (2023)

Statistic 43

9.0% of high school students reported ever using marijuana (2023)

Statistic 44

1.5% of high school students reported current cocaine use in 2023

Statistic 45

2.6% of high school students reported using prescription stimulants without a prescription in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 46

4.0% of high school students reported using prescription opioids without a prescription in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 47

5.5% of high school students reported using prescription opioids without a prescription in their lifetime (2023)

Statistic 48

1.1% of high school students reported misusing tranquilizers or sedatives in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 49

4.0% of high school students reported misusing prescription stimulants in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 50

2.3% of high school students reported using LSD in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 51

1.2% of high school students reported using ecstasy/MDMA in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 52

2.0% of high school students reported using inhalants in the past 12 months (2023)

Statistic 53

1.4% of high school students reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in the past 30 days (2023)

Statistic 54

2023: 16.1% of high school students reported using marijuana in the past 12 months

Statistic 55

2023: 9.7% of high school students reported using marijuana one or more times in the past 30 days

Statistic 56

2023: 5.9% of high school students reported using any illicit drug (excluding marijuana) in the past 12 months

Statistic 57

In 2022, there were 1,861 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States

Statistic 58

In 2022, there were 3,824 overdose deaths among ages 18–19 years in the United States

Statistic 59

Between 2019 and 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 12–17 increased by 94%

Statistic 60

Between 2019 and 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 18–19 increased by 69%

Statistic 61

In 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 12–17 was 8.7 per 100,000

Statistic 62

In 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 18–19 was 35.1 per 100,000

Statistic 63

In 2021, 1,940 overdose deaths occurred among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States

Statistic 64

In 2020, there were 1,642 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States

Statistic 65

In 2019, there were 1,187 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States

Statistic 66

In 2022, there were 1,571 overdose deaths among males aged 12–17 years

Statistic 67

In 2022, there were 290 overdose deaths among females aged 12–17 years

Statistic 68

In 2022, males aged 12–17 had an overdose death rate of 12.2 per 100,000

Statistic 69

In 2022, females aged 12–17 had an overdose death rate of 4.5 per 100,000

Statistic 70

In 2022, opioid-involved overdose deaths accounted for 91.0% of adolescent overdose deaths (12–17)

Statistic 71

In 2022, synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths accounted for 68.8% of adolescent overdose deaths (12–17)

Statistic 72

In 2022, 3.8% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 involved cocaine

Statistic 73

In 2022, 8.5% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 involved cocaine

Statistic 74

In 2022, 28.4% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 involved benzodiazepines

Statistic 75

In 2022, 35.1% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 involved benzodiazepines

Statistic 76

In 2022, 46.5% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 were among White individuals

Statistic 77

In 2022, 34.9% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 were among Black individuals

Statistic 78

In 2022, 9.8% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 were among Hispanic individuals

Statistic 79

In 2022, 48.2% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 were among White individuals

Statistic 80

In 2022, 29.8% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 were among Black individuals

Statistic 81

In 2022, 11.0% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 were among Hispanic individuals

Statistic 82

In 2021, there were 60,573 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 12–17 in the US

Statistic 83

In 2021, there were 118,680 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 18–25 in the US

Statistic 84

In 2021, there were 1,995 emergency department visits involving stimulant overdoses for ages 12–17

Statistic 85

In 2021, there were 12,662 emergency department visits involving stimulant overdoses for ages 18–25

Statistic 86

In 2020, there were 43,732 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 12–17

Statistic 87

Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of adolescent drug overdose emergency department visits increased from 15.8 per 10,000 to 34.0 per 10,000

Statistic 88

In 2021, 7,010 adolescents aged 12–17 were hospitalized for opioid overdose in the US

Statistic 89

In 2021, 18,030 young adults aged 18–25 were hospitalized for opioid overdose in the US

Statistic 90

In 2021, there were 1,118 inpatient admissions for opioid overdose among ages 12–17

Statistic 91

In 2022, there were 9,361,000 substance use treatment admissions among people aged 12–17 in the US (estimated)

Statistic 92

In 2022, 1,231,000 adolescents aged 12–17 received substance use treatment (estimated)

Statistic 93

SAMHSA estimated that 909,000 adolescents aged 12–17 had a substance use disorder in 2022

Statistic 94

In 2022, 84.7% of adolescents with a substance use disorder did not receive specialty treatment

Statistic 95

In 2022, only 15.3% of adolescents with a substance use disorder received specialty treatment

Statistic 96

In 2020, 39% of adolescents with substance use disorders received treatment (among those who needed it)

Statistic 97

14.6% of adolescents aged 12–17 who needed but did not receive treatment received no specialty care in 2019 (estimated)

Statistic 98

Only 1 in 10 adolescents with a substance use disorder receive treatment (estimated)

Statistic 99

In 2021, 81.0% of youth substance use disorder treatment admissions were in outpatient settings

Statistic 100

In 2021, 19.0% of youth substance use disorder treatment admissions were in residential/inpatient settings

Statistic 101

In 2022, 20.9% of adolescents reported needing treatment but not receiving it (estimated)

Statistic 102

In 2021, adolescents aged 12–17 represented 7.4% of all substance use disorder admissions to specialty treatment facilities

Statistic 103

In 2021, 18.2% of adolescents receiving treatment had a primary diagnosis of cannabis use disorder

Statistic 104

In 2021, 6.7% of adolescents receiving treatment had a primary diagnosis of opioid use disorder

Statistic 105

A 2018 CDC study reported that 1 in 4 adolescents were offered or provided prescription opioids by someone else (lifetime exposure) (US, youth survey estimate)

Statistic 106

In 2017, 6.2% of high school students reported taking prescription pain relievers without a prescription in the past month

Statistic 107

In 2019, 5.6% of high school students reported using prescription drugs without a prescription in the past month

Statistic 108

In 2021, 6.6% of high school students reported using prescription drugs without a prescription in the past year

Statistic 109

In 2017–2019, 22% of adolescents reported that their parents or guardians kept prescription opioids available at home

Statistic 110

In 2017–2019, 16% of adolescents reported that their parents or guardians did not secure prescription medications

Statistic 111

Adolescents who report peer disapproval of substance use show lower likelihood of use; in one analysis, perceived peer disapproval was associated with 30% lower odds of current marijuana use (study estimate)

Statistic 112

In a national survey analysis, adolescents with poor school connectedness had 2.1x higher odds of past-year substance use disorder diagnosis (study estimate)

Statistic 113

A meta-analysis found that impulsivity is associated with a 1.5 standard deviation increase in substance use risk among adolescents (meta-analytic effect size)

Statistic 114

A longitudinal study found that early initiation of alcohol/drugs increased the probability of later substance use by 1.8x (study estimate)

Statistic 115

In the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 4.1 million adolescents aged 12–17 had substance use disorder needs (estimated)

Statistic 116

In 2023 NSDUH, 2.7 million adolescents aged 12–17 had any substance use disorder (estimated)

Statistic 117

In 2023, 1.7 million adolescents aged 12–17 had a major depressive episode (estimated) (risk factor context for substance use)

Statistic 118

In 2023, 2.2 million adolescents aged 12–17 had co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder (estimated)

Statistic 119

In 2020, 18.0% of high school students reported mental health factors associated with increased substance use risk (CDC YRBS measure)

Statistic 120

In 2023, 22.2% of high school students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless (CDC YRBS national)

Statistic 121

In 2023, 13.6% of high school students reported that they carried a weapon (risk factor context)

Statistic 122

In 2023, 7.9% of high school students reported that they did not go to school because they felt unsafe (risk factor context)

Statistic 123

Between 2018 and 2023, the past-30-day marijuana use rate among high school students decreased from 7.6% to 6.9% (CDC YRBS national trend)

Statistic 124

Between 2018 and 2023, binge drinking among high school students increased from 10.6% to 11.5% (CDC YRBS national trend)

Statistic 125

Between 2018 and 2023, vaping among high school students increased from 10.5% to 7.4% (CDC YRBS trend; context includes 2020–2022 declines)

Statistic 126

In 2023, 9.0% of high school students reported ever using marijuana

Statistic 127

In 2023, 2.5% of high school students reported current opioid use without a prescription (past 30 days)

Statistic 128

2023: 5.4% of 8th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days (Monitoring the Future)

Statistic 129

2023: 9.5% of 10th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days (Monitoring the Future)

Statistic 130

2023: 12.2% of 12th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days (Monitoring the Future)

Sources
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Catherine Wu

Written by Catherine Wu·Edited by Priya Chandrasekaran·Fact-checked by Nikolas Papadopoulos

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 11, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

One year, 5.0% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days, but the daily picture is much smaller with 1.3% reporting marijuana use daily or near daily. The gap widens again when you look at age, with 0.8% of 8th graders versus 3.8% of 12th graders using marijuana in the past month, alongside 2.0% of 12th graders reporting vaping nicotine. We pulled together these teen drug and overdose related figures to show where use is creeping up, where it’s holding steady, and where the risks are hidden behind percentages that can feel easy to dismiss.

Key Takeaways

  • 5.0% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023
  • 1.3% of students reported using marijuana (THC) daily or near-daily in 2023
  • 3.8% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days in 2023
  • In 2022, there were 1,861 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States
  • In 2022, there were 3,824 overdose deaths among ages 18–19 years in the United States
  • Between 2019 and 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 12–17 increased by 94%
  • In 2021, there were 60,573 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 12–17 in the US
  • In 2021, there were 118,680 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 18–25 in the US
  • In 2021, there were 1,995 emergency department visits involving stimulant overdoses for ages 12–17
  • In 2022, there were 9,361,000 substance use treatment admissions among people aged 12–17 in the US (estimated)
  • In 2022, 1,231,000 adolescents aged 12–17 received substance use treatment (estimated)
  • SAMHSA estimated that 909,000 adolescents aged 12–17 had a substance use disorder in 2022
  • A 2018 CDC study reported that 1 in 4 adolescents were offered or provided prescription opioids by someone else (lifetime exposure) (US, youth survey estimate)
  • In 2017, 6.2% of high school students reported taking prescription pain relievers without a prescription in the past month
  • In 2019, 5.6% of high school students reported using prescription drugs without a prescription in the past month

In 2023, 5% of students used illicit drugs in the past 30 days, with marijuana most common.

Related reading

Prevalence Rates

15.0% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
21.3% of students reported using marijuana (THC) daily or near-daily in 2023[1]
Verified
33.8% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
42.0% of 12th graders reported using vaping nicotine in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Directional
51.2% of 10th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
60.8% of 8th graders reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
73.7% of students reported using marijuana at least once in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
82.0% of students reported using prescription drugs (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
90.7% of students reported using cocaine in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
100.2% of students reported using heroin in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
110.9% of students reported using hallucinogens in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
120.3% of students reported using inhalants in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
131.6% of students reported using any prescription opioid (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
140.4% of students reported using MDMA/ecstasy in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Single source
150.6% of students reported using synthetic marijuana (“K2/Spice”) in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
160.5% of students reported using misused prescription stimulants in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Single source
171.0% of 12th graders reported using prescription sedatives (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Single source
180.6% of 10th graders reported using prescription sedatives (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
190.4% of 8th graders reported using prescription sedatives (nonmedical) in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Single source
202.5% of students reported using marijuana one or more times in the past 12 months in 2023[1]
Verified
211.0% of students reported using any illicit drug one or more times in the past 12 months in 2023[1]
Verified
227.6% of students reported using alcohol in the past 30 days in 2023[1]
Verified
232.6% of students reported binge drinking (5+ drinks in a row in past 2 weeks) in 2023[1]
Verified
240.7% of students reported using inhalants in the past 12 months in 2023[1]
Verified
250.6% of students reported using hallucinogens in the past 12 months in 2023[1]
Verified
260.4% of students reported using cocaine in the past 12 months in 2023[1]
Verified
270.2% of students reported using heroin in the past 12 months in 2023[1]
Verified
283.8% of 12th graders reported using marijuana in the past 30 days in 2022[2]
Verified
294.2% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2019[3]
Verified
304.0% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2020[4]
Verified
314.3% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2021[5]
Directional
325.1% of students reported using any illicit drug in the past 30 days in 2017[6]
Verified
332.1% of high school students reported using cocaine in their lifetime (2015)[7]
Verified
346.9% of high school students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Verified
352.5% of high school students reported using opioids without a prescription in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Verified
366.1% of high school students reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Directional
3711.5% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Verified
387.4% of high school students reported using vaping products in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Verified
393.3% of high school students reported current use of marijuana (past 30 days) in 2021[8]
Directional
403.2% of high school students reported using synthetic marijuana (“K2/Spice”) in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Single source
411.7% of high school students reported using cocaine in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Verified
420.8% of high school students reported using heroin in their lifetime (2023)[8]
Verified
439.0% of high school students reported ever using marijuana (2023)[8]
Verified
441.5% of high school students reported current cocaine use in 2023[8]
Single source
452.6% of high school students reported using prescription stimulants without a prescription in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Single source
464.0% of high school students reported using prescription opioids without a prescription in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Verified
475.5% of high school students reported using prescription opioids without a prescription in their lifetime (2023)[8]
Verified
481.1% of high school students reported misusing tranquilizers or sedatives in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Verified
494.0% of high school students reported misusing prescription stimulants in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Verified
502.3% of high school students reported using LSD in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Single source
511.2% of high school students reported using ecstasy/MDMA in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Verified
522.0% of high school students reported using inhalants in the past 12 months (2023)[8]
Verified
531.4% of high school students reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in the past 30 days (2023)[8]
Verified
542023: 16.1% of high school students reported using marijuana in the past 12 months[9]
Single source
552023: 9.7% of high school students reported using marijuana one or more times in the past 30 days[9]
Verified
562023: 5.9% of high school students reported using any illicit drug (excluding marijuana) in the past 12 months[9]
Verified

Prevalence Rates Interpretation

In 2023, marijuana remains the most commonly used drug among teenagers, with 5.0% reporting any illicit drug use in the past 30 days while 3.7% reported marijuana use at least once in that same period.

More related reading

Overdose & Mortality

1In 2022, there were 1,861 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States[10]
Verified
2In 2022, there were 3,824 overdose deaths among ages 18–19 years in the United States[10]
Directional
3Between 2019 and 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 12–17 increased by 94%[10]
Verified
4Between 2019 and 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 18–19 increased by 69%[10]
Verified
5In 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 12–17 was 8.7 per 100,000[10]
Verified
6In 2022, the overdose death rate for ages 18–19 was 35.1 per 100,000[10]
Single source
7In 2021, 1,940 overdose deaths occurred among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States[10]
Directional
8In 2020, there were 1,642 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States[10]
Verified
9In 2019, there were 1,187 overdose deaths among adolescents aged 12–17 years in the United States[10]
Verified
10In 2022, there were 1,571 overdose deaths among males aged 12–17 years[10]
Verified
11In 2022, there were 290 overdose deaths among females aged 12–17 years[10]
Single source
12In 2022, males aged 12–17 had an overdose death rate of 12.2 per 100,000[10]
Verified
13In 2022, females aged 12–17 had an overdose death rate of 4.5 per 100,000[10]
Verified
14In 2022, opioid-involved overdose deaths accounted for 91.0% of adolescent overdose deaths (12–17)[10]
Verified
15In 2022, synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths accounted for 68.8% of adolescent overdose deaths (12–17)[10]
Verified
16In 2022, 3.8% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 involved cocaine[10]
Verified
17In 2022, 8.5% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 involved cocaine[10]
Directional
18In 2022, 28.4% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 involved benzodiazepines[10]
Single source
19In 2022, 35.1% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 involved benzodiazepines[10]
Verified
20In 2022, 46.5% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 were among White individuals[10]
Verified
21In 2022, 34.9% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 were among Black individuals[10]
Verified
22In 2022, 9.8% of overdose deaths among ages 12–17 were among Hispanic individuals[10]
Single source
23In 2022, 48.2% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 were among White individuals[10]
Directional
24In 2022, 29.8% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 were among Black individuals[10]
Single source
25In 2022, 11.0% of overdose deaths among ages 18–19 were among Hispanic individuals[10]
Verified

Overdose & Mortality Interpretation

From 2019 to 2022, the overdose death rate among ages 12 to 17 nearly doubled with a 94% increase, reaching 8.7 per 100,000 in 2022, while opioids drove the majority at 91.0% of adolescent overdose deaths.

More related reading

Health System Impact

1In 2021, there were 60,573 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 12–17 in the US[11]
Verified
2In 2021, there were 118,680 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 18–25 in the US[11]
Verified
3In 2021, there were 1,995 emergency department visits involving stimulant overdoses for ages 12–17[11]
Verified
4In 2021, there were 12,662 emergency department visits involving stimulant overdoses for ages 18–25[11]
Verified
5In 2020, there were 43,732 emergency department visits involving opioid overdoses for ages 12–17[11]
Verified
6Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of adolescent drug overdose emergency department visits increased from 15.8 per 10,000 to 34.0 per 10,000[12]
Directional
7In 2021, 7,010 adolescents aged 12–17 were hospitalized for opioid overdose in the US[11]
Verified
8In 2021, 18,030 young adults aged 18–25 were hospitalized for opioid overdose in the US[11]
Verified
9In 2021, there were 1,118 inpatient admissions for opioid overdose among ages 12–17[11]
Verified

Health System Impact Interpretation

In 2021, opioid overdose emergency department visits were nearly twice as high for ages 18–25 (118,680) as for ages 12–17 (60,573), and across 2010 to 2019 the adolescent overdose rate climbed from 15.8 to 34.0 per 10,000.

Treatment & Outcomes

1In 2022, there were 9,361,000 substance use treatment admissions among people aged 12–17 in the US (estimated)[13]
Verified
2In 2022, 1,231,000 adolescents aged 12–17 received substance use treatment (estimated)[13]
Directional
3SAMHSA estimated that 909,000 adolescents aged 12–17 had a substance use disorder in 2022[13]
Verified
4In 2022, 84.7% of adolescents with a substance use disorder did not receive specialty treatment[13]
Verified
5In 2022, only 15.3% of adolescents with a substance use disorder received specialty treatment[13]
Verified
6In 2020, 39% of adolescents with substance use disorders received treatment (among those who needed it)[14]
Verified
714.6% of adolescents aged 12–17 who needed but did not receive treatment received no specialty care in 2019 (estimated)[15]
Verified
8Only 1 in 10 adolescents with a substance use disorder receive treatment (estimated)[16]
Directional
9In 2021, 81.0% of youth substance use disorder treatment admissions were in outpatient settings[17]
Verified
10In 2021, 19.0% of youth substance use disorder treatment admissions were in residential/inpatient settings[17]
Verified
11In 2022, 20.9% of adolescents reported needing treatment but not receiving it (estimated)[13]
Single source
12In 2021, adolescents aged 12–17 represented 7.4% of all substance use disorder admissions to specialty treatment facilities[18]
Verified
13In 2021, 18.2% of adolescents receiving treatment had a primary diagnosis of cannabis use disorder[19]
Directional
14In 2021, 6.7% of adolescents receiving treatment had a primary diagnosis of opioid use disorder[19]
Verified

Treatment & Outcomes Interpretation

In 2022, about 909,000 adolescents aged 12–17 had a substance use disorder but only 15.3% received specialty treatment, meaning roughly 84.7% went without it.

More related reading

Risk Factors

1A 2018 CDC study reported that 1 in 4 adolescents were offered or provided prescription opioids by someone else (lifetime exposure) (US, youth survey estimate)[20]
Verified
2In 2017, 6.2% of high school students reported taking prescription pain relievers without a prescription in the past month[21]
Verified
3In 2019, 5.6% of high school students reported using prescription drugs without a prescription in the past month[22]
Verified
4In 2021, 6.6% of high school students reported using prescription drugs without a prescription in the past year[8]
Verified
5In 2017–2019, 22% of adolescents reported that their parents or guardians kept prescription opioids available at home[23]
Verified
6In 2017–2019, 16% of adolescents reported that their parents or guardians did not secure prescription medications[23]
Verified
7Adolescents who report peer disapproval of substance use show lower likelihood of use; in one analysis, perceived peer disapproval was associated with 30% lower odds of current marijuana use (study estimate)[24]
Verified
8In a national survey analysis, adolescents with poor school connectedness had 2.1x higher odds of past-year substance use disorder diagnosis (study estimate)[25]
Verified
9A meta-analysis found that impulsivity is associated with a 1.5 standard deviation increase in substance use risk among adolescents (meta-analytic effect size)[26]
Verified
10A longitudinal study found that early initiation of alcohol/drugs increased the probability of later substance use by 1.8x (study estimate)[27]
Single source
11In the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 4.1 million adolescents aged 12–17 had substance use disorder needs (estimated)[28]
Verified
12In 2023 NSDUH, 2.7 million adolescents aged 12–17 had any substance use disorder (estimated)[28]
Verified
13In 2023, 1.7 million adolescents aged 12–17 had a major depressive episode (estimated) (risk factor context for substance use)[28]
Verified
14In 2023, 2.2 million adolescents aged 12–17 had co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder (estimated)[28]
Single source
15In 2020, 18.0% of high school students reported mental health factors associated with increased substance use risk (CDC YRBS measure)[9]
Directional
16In 2023, 22.2% of high school students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless (CDC YRBS national)[9]
Verified
17In 2023, 13.6% of high school students reported that they carried a weapon (risk factor context)[9]
Verified
18In 2023, 7.9% of high school students reported that they did not go to school because they felt unsafe (risk factor context)[9]
Verified

Risk Factors Interpretation

Across recent years, prescription drug misuse remains common and persistent, with 6.2% of high school students reporting nonmedical use in 2017 rising to 6.6% by 2021, while 4.1 million adolescents in 2023 had substance use disorder needs.

More related reading

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Teenage Drug Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teenage-drug-abuse-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Teenage Drug Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teenage-drug-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Teenage Drug Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teenage-drug-abuse-statistics.

References

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  • 1monitoringthefuture.org/data/23data/tech24a.pdf
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samhsa.govsamhsa.gov
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  • 14samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-use-disorder-and-treatment-for-adolescents-in-the-united-states
  • 15samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-use-disorder-and-treatment-adolescents
  • 16samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_guide/short-report-1-in-10-adolescents.pdf
  • 17samhsa.gov/data/report/behavioral-health-barometer
  • 18samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-abuse-treatment-admissions
  • 19samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-use-disorder-and-treatment
  • 28samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-substance-use-mental-health-estimates
cdc.govcdc.gov
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  • 20cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6701a4.htm
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  • 23cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7206a1.htm
jamanetwork.comjamanetwork.com
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ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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  • 27ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6908669/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  • 26pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30041920/