
Almost 21 million Americans have at least 1 addiction, yet only 10% of them receive treatment. Drug overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1990. Alcohol and drug addiction cost the US economy over $600 billion every year. About 20% of Americans who have depression or an anxiety disorder also have a substance use disorder.
Full Answer
Which is the best treatment for drug addiction?
Psychotherapy approaches commonly used during drug treatment:
- Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you identify and avoid drug-related triggers and it also helps you manage challenging situations that can overwhelm you and lead you back to drugs.
- Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy. ...
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy. ...
- Residential Treatment. ...
- References: Beck, A. ...
What percentage of Americans have drug addiction?
Whites had a 7.7% rate of substance abuse in 2017. About 6.8% percent of African Americans struggled with substance use disorders, while the percentage of Hispanics or Latinos who suffered from substance use disorders was 6.6%. 7 Approximately 4.6% percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders suffered from substance use disorders. 7
What are the common prescription drug addiction statistics?
While prescription drug addictions can take the form of stimulant, sedative and opiate addictions, opiate or pain pill addictions far exceed those involving stimulants and sedatives. On average, three out of every four overdoses result from prescription pain pill abuse.
What are some facts about drug addiction?
While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one's health. Common effects of drug abuse on the body include sleep changes and decreased memory and cognitive abilities. Other common physical problems include: 1,2. Abnormal vital signs like respiration, heart rate and blood pressure

How many people are treated for addiction?
Almost 21 million Americans have at least 1 addiction, yet only 10% of them receive treatment. Drug overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1990. Alcohol and drug addiction cost the US economy over $600 billion every year.
What percentage of those with substance abuse disorder receive treatment?
Only about 10 percent of people with a substance use disorder receive any type of specialty treatment. Further, over 40 percent of people with a substance use disorder also have a mental health condition, yet fewer than half (48.0 percent) receive treatment for either disorder.
What percentage of people who seek treatment relapse?
Believe it or not, many people fail to remain sober after rehab. In most cases, they haven't reached out for the proper support before falling for triggers. In fact, 85 percent of individuals relapse within a year of treatment, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
How many people are in recovery from substance use disorder?
“Supported” scientific evidence indicates that approximately 50 percent of adults who once met diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder—or about 25 million people—are currently in stable remission (1 year or longer).
What percentage of the population suffers from addiction?
The study, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that about 4 percent of Americans met the criteria for drug use disorder in the past year and about 10 percent have had drug use disorder at some time in their lives.
What are the statistics for relapse?
The statistics indicate that anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of people with addiction will experience a relapse.
What is the relapse rate?
Relapse rate is a measure of the success or failure of a program that treats substance abuse or rehabilitates offenders. Many programs funded by social impact bonds (SIBs) are evaluated on their relapse rates. The returns to SIB investors are directly related to the relapse rates among those served by the programs.
How many people relapse within a year?
As noted, up to 85% of individuals relapse within their first year of sobriety. The good news is that the longer one is able to maintain their recovery, the better chance they have at sustaining long-term sobriety.
What percent of people are in recovery?
This study estimates that 11.1% of adults in the U.S., translating to 27.5 million people, have had a substance use problem in their lifetime and that 74.8% – 8.3% of the total US adult population – or 20.5 million adults are in recovery or have recovered from this problem.
What is Addiction?
Addiction, or Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a serious social, economic, and public health crisis that is not adequately addressed in public policy or treatment delivery. It is a primary and chronic disease, centered in the brain, with psychological and social components.
Solving the US Addiction Crisis
Renowned scholar and author of NAATP’s history, William White, said that the U.S. has tried to arrest and incarcerate our way out of the addiction crisis.
How many questions are asked in the substance use evaluation?
The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
Who is rehab counselor?
Rehab counseling at some centers is often practiced by “veteran counselors” who overcame substance abuse problems of their own. These counselors may fervently believe in their methodology, even as state governments (like Oregon) have started to cast a skeptical eye on some in the industry.
Is addiction a problem in rehab?
The insidious nature of addiction adds to the problem of defining success in rehab. Some patients simply go through the motions of treatment, doing and saying anything just to graduate from their program, if it means getting back into the outside world where they can resume their drug consumption.
Is there a standard definition of rehab?
There is no standard definition of rehab, so there is no standardized way to measure the success of addiction centers. Many base their success rates on unreliable metrics, such as: A better approach involves judging the actual quality of care a facility provides, both during and after the formal treatment period.
Is there a 12-step program?
Joining Johnson’s voice, many who object to the rigid principles of 12-Step programs (for example surrendering to a higher power), point to cases of “spontaneous recovery,” as evidence that 12-Step is only one approach in the mix. Many cite a small 1985 Journal of Studies on Alcohol study in which drinkers were able to walk away from their behavior of their own volition via a combination of willpower, developing a physical aversion to alcohol after bottoming out, and experiencing some kind of life-changing experience to support the idea that 12-Step or rehab in general isn’t a must in every case.
Is there a standard metric for rehabilitation?
The answer is not very straightforward. According to TIME magazine, there is no standard definition of “rehab,” so there is no standard metric of success for rehabilitation centers. Some facilities simply measure how many of their patients complete their programs; others consider sobriety in the follow-up months and years after “graduation” as the threshold for success.
Is medication based therapy more effective than psychological therapy?
When asked what he would call the medication-based approach, Johnson stressed that medications can often be more effective than psychological therapy on its own. Johnson also points out myths that tend to feed the self-help model, including the idea that one must hit “rock bottom” before entering treatment.
How many people are addicted to meth?
Overview of meth abuse and addiction rates: An estimated one million people in the United States are addicted to meth or dependent on meth. About 184,000 people reported trying meth for the first time in 2019.
What percentage of people with opioid addiction use heroin?
Rates that show the link between prescription opioid misuse and heroin addiction: About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids. An estimated five percent of people with an opioid use disorder will use heroin.
How many people misused stimulants in 2017?
More than one million people misused prescription stimulants, 1.5 million misused tranquilizers, and 271,000 reported misusing prescription sedatives in 2017. In 2017, an estimated 18 million Americans aged 12 and older reporting misusing prescription drugs in the last year.
What are the most common drugs that are misused?
Commonly misused drugs include: alcohol. prescription painkillers. heroin. cocaine. methamphetamine. prescription drugs. marijuana. Addiction can occur in people of all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and gender identities, regardless of income or socioeconomic status.
What percentage of high school seniors use drugs?
About 37 percent of all high school seniors reported using illicit drugs (including marijuana, which is legal in some states) in the last year. The perceived harms of drinking and drug use decreased from 2018 to 2019. This includes perceived risks associated with binge drinking, cocaine use, and heroin use.
How many people over 12 binge drink?
Rates that apply to the type of alcohol use disorder (binge drinking, problem drinking, etc): About 24 percent of people over 12 report binge-drinking in the past month. Nine in 10 adults who binge-drink do not have a severe alcohol use disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How many 12th graders drink alcohol?
About 55 percent of 12th graders reported drinking alcohol in the past year. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 14.5 million people had an alcohol use disorder in 2019.
Drug Use, Abuse & Addiction Statistics, Trends & Data (2021 Update)
Number of People in the U.S. Who Used Selected Illicit Drugs in Their Lifetime (in 1,000)
Illegal and Legal Drug Global Overview
The use of illegal drugs affects 64% of people, which is more than half of the global population. These results are attributed to people who claimed they have used an illegal drug at least once. (Global Drug Survey ID 7468184, 2017)
Prevalence of Drug Use in the U.S
118,524,000 Americans admitted to have used marijuana within their lifetime, which makes it the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S. (SAMHSA, RTI International ID 61118, 2017)
Recreational Drug Use Statistics
Since its discovery thousands of years ago, marijuana has experienced a classical curse-and-redemption story, but in recent years, we can observe a significant increase in marijuana use in the U.S. The number of people who have used marijuana at least once in their lifetime increased by 13,574,000. (SAMHSA; RTI International ID 61168)
Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics
Most drugs noted a decrease in sales in the 2015-2016 period. Methylphenidate HCl, the most popular prescription drug in the U.S., reached 2.073 billion dollars in sales in 2016, which is 159 million dollars less than in the past year. (The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Health Statistics)
Teen Drug Use
4% of U.S. teens admitted to having used an illicit drug within their lifetime in 2017, which is 3% less than in 2004 (36.4%) (Institute for Social Research ID 208420)
Drug-related Deaths
West Virginia noted the highest drug overdose death rate in the U.S. in 2016. Per each 100,000 people, 52 individuals died from a drug overdose. (CDC ID 610864)
How many people are addicted to drugs in the US?
Somewhere around 23 million people in the US have drug or alcohol addiction. Of them, 15 million are addicted to alcohol, four million are addicted to drugs, and another four million are addicted to both. Another critical point is that most people start abusing drugs in their teenage years. Namely, there are about 7,898 new drug users every day, and 52% of them are under 18.
How many people have used drugs at least once in their lives?
18 million people have abused prescription drugs at least once in their lives. Addiction statistics for 2020 show that 0.5% of 8th graders have used heroin in their lifetime. 30% of marijuana users are in danger of developing a marijuana use disorder. 7.5 million people aged 15–34 have used cocaine at least once.
What is the most abused prescription drug?
The most abused prescription drugs include painkillers like fentanyl, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone, followed by barbiturates like Nembutal. Popular prescription drugs are also benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax, whose addiction rate has been increasing recently, and sedative-hypnotics like Ambien.
How many boys are addicted to video games?
Video game addiction statistics disclose that 12% of boys and 7% of girls are addicted to video games. Around 12% of girls and 7% of boys have a video game addiction. Moreover, in the US, there was a 30% increase in the time spent on video games in the second quarter of 2020, based on video gaming addiction statistics.
What did Obama say about addiction?
Obama stated that the stigma of addiction had discouraged many Americans from receiving the help they deserve. Countless drug addiction facts point to addiction being a complex disease. Following that, we ought to find a way to help those who suffer from it without judging them.
How many people in the US have taken illegal drugs in 2019?
In 2019, 138,027 US citizens reported having taken illegal drugs or marijuana. Addiction statistics from 2019 uncover that 138,027 Americans over the age of 12 reported having used illegal drugs or marijuana in their lives. Moreover, 57,203 had done that in the past year, and 35,803—in the past month.
How many people were arrested for drug related charges in 2018?
Note that people with mental disorders and teenagers are at the highest risk of developing a substance addiction. 2. In 2018, 1.6 million people were arrested for drug-related charges, according to addiction stats. (Drug Policy) Of those, 1.4 million charges were for possession only.
How much did drug abuse cost in 2017?
The Consequences of Drug Abuse. In 2017, the cost of drug abuse in the US was nearly $272 billion, taking into account crime, healthcare needs, lost work productivity and other impacts on society. $193 billion was incurred in overall costs for illegal drugs in addition to $78.5 billion for prescription opioids.
How many opioids were prescribed in 2012?
The national opioid prescription rate peaked in 2012 with over 255 million prescriptions, an average of 81.3 prescriptions per 100 persons. Additionally: In 2015, opioids were still being prescribed at a rate that would medicate every American around the clock (5mg of hydrocodone every 4 hours) for 3 weeks.
How many people use heroin in 2018?
In 2018, 0.3% or 808,000 persons reported using heroin in the past year. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug approved by the FDA as an anesthetic and for pain relief. It is also one of the most abused and dangerous narcotics today. For more information about fentanyl, see our report on fentanyl abuse.
How many cases of opioid poisoning are there?
The most common type of substance exposure reported to poison control centers is illegal or misused prescription opioids, with nearly 284,000 cases of exposure, including: 44% of cases were for children under the age of 5, including 5,300 exposures to heroin and fentanyl.
How many urine samples tested positive for meth?
In 2019, clinics who dealt with primary care, pain management or substance abuse disorders saw drastic increases in urine samples testing positive for potentially fatal drugs: 4% of urine samples tested positive for meth, compared to 1.4% in 2013. 5% of urine samples tested positive for fentanyl compared to 1% in 2013.
What percentage of veterans have substance abuse?
Mental illness and substance abuse (comorbidity) is relatively common among military veterans. 7% of veterans struggle with illegal drug use compared to 5.3% of the general population in the US over age 18. 80% struggle with alcohol abuse, and 7% have an issue with both alcohol and illegal drugs.
What is the front page of DrugAbuseStatistics.org?
The front page of DrugAbuseStatistics.org features the most noteworthy data regarding drug abuse including overdose deaths, addiction by drug type, demographics, mental health, drug abuse treatment programs, and the cost of the War on Drugs.
How much money does addiction treatment make?
American Addiction Centers, one of the largest treatment organizations in the U.S., reported revenue of almost 296 million dollars in 2018, a substantial increase from the 212 million dollars reported in 2015.
How many substance abuse facilities are there in the US?
In 2018, there were 14,809 substance abuse facilities in the U.S., with the highest number found in the state of California.
What percentage of Wyoming treatment centers offer free services?
Wyoming was the notable exception to this rule: Of all the state's treatment centers, 72 percent offered a free service. Indeed, these figures indicate that access to treatment at no cost may be saving lives in the Equality State.
What are the twin forces that have transformed addiction treatment?
In recent years, America's addiction treatment industry has been transformed by twin forces: the opioid epidemic and the Affordable Care Act. Overdose deaths have climbed steadily since the early 2000s, creating a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Simultaneously, the ACA extended health coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans ...
What did the ACA do to the recovery industry?
Simultaneously, the ACA extended health coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans and mandated the coverage of substance abuse treatment . This combination of widespread need and broadened coverage has dramatically expanded demand for treatment – and permanently altered the recovery industry in the process. ...

Substance Use Disorder (Sud) Statistics
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Statistics
- Alcohol accounts for over 5 percent of all deaths worldwide. That’s around 3 million deaths per year.11 In the U.S., around 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes every year. On average, alcohol poisoning kills six people daily.13 Among adults in the U.S.: 1. Roughly 25 percent had at least one heavy drinking day14 2. Nearly 40 percent drink in excess12 Heavy drinking can lead t…
Opioid Use Disorder (AUD) Statistics
- Some opioids (like hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl) are prescribed for severe pain. However, they are sometimes misused. This means they are used for purposes not consistent with legal or medical guidelines. Around 10 million people misused opioids in 2019. They comprise 3.7 percent of the U.S. population.2, 3 Among these opioid misusers:2 1. 96 percent m…
Other Substance Abuse Statistics
- In 2019, the most commonly used drugs based on the number and percentage of users are:2, 3 1. Marijuana:48.2 million (17.5 percent) 2. Psychotherapeutic drugs:16.3 million (5.9 percent) 3. Hallucinogens:6 million (2.2 percent) 4. Cocaine:5.5 million (2.0 percent) 5. Inhalants:2.1 million (0.8 percent) 6. Methamphetamines:2 million (0.7 percent) 7. ...