Addiction Statistics – 2021

Much has changed in a year. Check out our 2022 addiction statistics page and see how COVID-19 and opioid overdoses continue to affect our world.

The Edge Treatment Center keeps a careful eye on addiction statistics. Learn more about addiction trends of 2021 below:

As an addiction treatment center in Orange County, The Edge Treatment Center grapples with addiction daily. Addiction is a widespread issue that affects more people than you think. Watch this sobering video from our Medical Director Dr. David I. Deyhimy, MD, FASAM, to get a true idea of the human impact of addiction.

Key takeaways include:

Public Perception of Substance Use Disorders:

Public Support for Increased Opioid Addiction Research Funding

A majority of people support funding for research into combating opioid addiction.

Who Patients Hold Responsible for the Opioid Crisis

A majority of Americans hold prescription companies responsible for the ongoing opioid crisis.

Percentage of Adults Who Felt Substance Use Was a Community Problem

An increasing number of adults view prescription pain killers and illicit drugs like cocaine or methamphetamines as serious community issues.

Funding for Substance Use Disorders by National Institutes for Health (NIH)

Substance abuse funding by the National Institute for Health (NIH) has increased every year in the past 7 years with the exception of 2020.

Percentage of Adults Who Know Someone Who Misuses Opioids

Nearly 1/4 of adults know someone who misuses opioids/has opioid use disorder.

Perceived Barriers to Combating the Opioid Epidemic

A majority of Americans feel that overprescription of opioids is the main barrier to effectively combating the opioid epidemic.

Economic Addiction Statistics:

Costs of Tobacco, Alcohol, Illicit Drugs, and Prescription Opioids in The Billions

In the United States, the costs to healthcare and to society overall for tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription opioids topped over 193 billion for “illicit drugs”, 78 billion for prescription opioids, 250 billion for alcohol, and 300 billion for tobacco use.

The Economic Burden of the Opioid Epidemic, By The Numbers

Deaths represent the greatest financial costs of the opioid crisis. Addiction treatment and other health care costs are a fraction of the cost of loss of life.

Economic Losses of Opioid Overdoses, Incarceration, and Loss in Productivity

The greatest cost of the overdose crisis is fatalities, and this impacts individuals and private sectors more than it impacts the federal, state, or local tax bases.

Geographic Addiction Statistics

International Addiction Statistics

Global estimated drug deaths

The estimated increase in international drug-related deaths is over 60,000 from 2000 to 2015

Drug Induced Deaths per Million, by Country

The United States has the most drug-induced deaths of any country by a large margin.

Fentanyl Consumption by Country

As of 2018, the United States consumes the most fentanyl globally.

Estimated Drug-Related Deaths Internationally

The United States nearly doubles the rate of the drug-deaths of every other major geographic region.

Addiction Statistics – United States

Number of Drug Overdose Deaths by Region and Drug Type

Drug overdose deaths are much more correlated with opioid use in every region. The regions that have the greatest number of drug overdose deaths are the South and Midwest in nearly every category.

States with Highest Fentanyl Overdose Death Rates

As of 2016, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Massachusetts had the highest rates of fentanyl overdose death rates.

Overall Drug Overdose Death Rates by State

In 2018 the states with highest overdose death rates varied, but some commonalities included higher rates in the South and along the coasts.

Overdose Death Rates by Level of Urbanization

Every community, whether rural or urban, shows increases in drug overdose rates from 2014 to 2017.

Impacts of Addiction by Ethnicity, Age, Sexual Orientation, and Gender

Addiction Impacts by Ethnicity

Heroin Overdose Death Rates by Ethnicity

White, Native, and Black communities represent disproportionately high rates of heroin overdose death rates.

Prescription Opioid Overdose Death Rates by Ethnicity

White communities and Native communities represent a disproportionately high rate of prescription opioid overdose deaths.

Percentage of US Hispanic Population Using Illicit Drugs

Latinos are more likely to use marijuana than any other illicit drugs

Percentage of US African American Population Using Illicit Drugs

African Americans are more likely to use marijuana than any other illicit drugs.

Addiction Impacts by Age

Use of Illicit Drugs in Grades 8, 10, and 12

Over 1/3 of 8th 10th and 12th graders have used illicit drugs at some stage of their life.

Percentage of High School Students Using Cocaine by Gender, Ethnicity, and Sexual Identity

LGBTQIA high school students use cocaine at twice the rate that heterosexual students do based on this data.

Addiction Impacts by Sexual Identity

Number of LGBTQIA adults who reported illicit drug use

The most commonly used illicit drug in the LGBT community, like many other communities, is marijuana.

Addiction Impacts by Gender

US Prescription Opioid Overdose Death Rate By Gender

Men have a higher rate of prescription opioid deaths than women, and each gender saw increases in prescription opioid death rates.

Current Alcohol Use by Gender

Women have a higher percentage of alcohol consumption, regardless of degree of usage.

US Fentanyl Overdose Deaths By Gender

The number of overdose deaths from fentanyl disproportionately affects males.

Percentage of US Women Using Illicit Drugs

The majority of women using illicit drugs use marijuana.

Overdose Crisis Statistics

United States Overdose Crisis by Opioid Category

Drug overdose death rates have increased at alarming levels since 1999, particularly synthetic opioids, for which overdose death rates are growing nearly exponentially.

US Drug Overdose Deaths Year over Year

Drug overdose deaths have increased drastically since 1950, now representing 20 deaths per 100,000 population.

Percent Change in Drug Overdose Deaths by State

Many states saw decreases in drug overdose deaths in the period from 2017 – 2018.

Overdose Statistics by Age Group

Drug Overdose Deaths By Age

Drug overdose deaths have increased in every age category, and particularly impacts those 25 to 34 years old.

Nonfatal Overdose Emergency Room Visits by Age

Nonfatal overdose emergency room visits were higher in every age group in 2017 than in 2016. In both years, ages 15-19 had the highest rates of needing emergency medical care for overdose.

Overdose Statistics by Occupation

Number of Prescription Opioid Overdose Deaths by Occupation

Prescription opioid deaths impact nearly all occupational sectors. Notably, construction, management, and nonpaid workers have the highest numbers of prescription opioid deaths.

Number of Heroin Overdose Deaths by Occupation

Construction has the highest rates of heroin overdose rates, followed closely by nonpaid workers.

Overdose Statistics by Substance

Number of Drug Overdose Deaths By Drug Type

Opioids were the primary drug type responsible for overdose deaths, followed closely by heroin and cocaine.

Number of Overdose Deaths by Specific Drugs

When measuring against other drugs, fentanyl causes the most overdose deaths, followed closely by heroin overdose death rates and cocaine overdose death rates.

Deaths Related to Alcohol-Related Illnesses Have Doubled

Between 1999 and 2017 alcohol-illness related deaths have doubled. These death counts do not include drunk driving incidents, etc.

Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Fentanyl

The rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl has increased drastically since being measured in 2011.

Number of Individuals with Reported Heroin Dependence or Use

The number of individuals with heroin dependencies in each age group increased steadily until 2017. The numbers around 2020 may have once more been inflated due to COVID-19.

Number of Overdose Deaths from Fentanyl Year over Year

Fentanyl overdose deaths have increased at a nearly exponential rate from 1999 to 2018.

US Sources of Misused Prescription Painkillers

Over half of painkiller abuse sources are friends or relatives.

Addiction Treatment Statistics

Total Number of Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Year over Year

There has been mild but steady growth in the number of addiction treatment centers in the United States.

Rates of Seeking Addiction Treatment By Substance

The highest rates of engaging addiction treatment services comes from those who struggle with alcohol, opioids, or stimulants.

References:

Statista