Substance Abuse in 2022: How bad is addiction in the United States?

September 1, 2022

Substance abuse and addiction is a tragic experience that directly impacts millions of individuals each and every year. Substance use disorder impacts more than just the individual though. Addiction affects friends, family, and co-workers in equally important ways.

Those experiencing substance abuse, whether addicted themselves or via the consequences of someone close to them, need support. They need to be shown compassion, patience, and grace. The road to recovery from addiction can be tedious and long. It requires a lot of support from friends, family and the community.

Substance abuse disorder, commonly referred to as addiction, compels a person to seek out and use alcohol, drugs, etc.… repeatedly despite consequences such as the deterioration of relationships, a decline in physical health, job loss, and threats to the general safety of the community.

Looking at substance use disorder statistics is insightful on a couple of fronts. First, it is difficult to tackle a problem as a society if we are not able to see how prevalent the issue is. Solutions begin with a clear picture of the problem. Second, statistics reveal that substance abuse is pervasive in our society. Millions upon millions of people suffer from it each and every day. Knowing this lets those who are suffering know they are not alone on their journey to recovery.

Just how prevalent is substance abuse in 2022? How is it impacting society and what types of programs are available to help others? Let’s take a look at some important statistics that will paint a picture of the current state of substance abuse in 2022.

General substance use disorder statistics – Just how prevalent is it?

Americans between the age of 18 to 25 are the most likely demographic to use addictive drugs. There are a variety of factors that make this age group particularly vulnerable including peer pressure, developing identity and finding footing as an adult.
9 out of 10 people who have an addiction began drug or alcohol use before they were 18 years old. This is a strong case for intervening on behalf of youth early in life.
Alcohol abuse makes up the lion’s share of substance abuse in the U.S. population. It accounts for 73% of substance abuse. 37% of the population struggles with illicit drug use and 12% struggle with both alcohol and drug use.
Every year, 16 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. These are either drugs prescribed or obtained illegally from someone else. These 16 million Americans make up 6% of the population!
The earlier a person begins using drugs in life, the more likely they are to develop a substance abuse problem.
Deaths related to substance abuse seem to be trending upward. Overdose deaths tripled in the decade between 1999 and 2019 (from 6.1 to 21.6 per 100,000). Much of this increase is related to the widespread opioid epidemic that has swept the nation in recent years.

Alcohol abuse statistics

Alcohol abuse is a significant problem worldwide as it accounts for 5% of deaths globally each year. In the United States alone, it accounts for 73% of substance abuse. Alcohol abuse is of particular interest because alcohol is a legally obtained substance that also enjoys a high level of social acceptance. This makes it an especially easy gateway to abusing other substances and is one that is often hidden in plain sight as it is both common, readily available, and legal.

Six people die every day in the United States as a result of alcohol poisoning. These individuals are overwhelmingly non-Hispanic Caucasian males between the ages of 35 and 64.
Over 30 Americans die every day from alcohol-related car accidents.
38 million Americans freely admit to binge drinking at least four times a month. During these binges, they admit to consuming at least 8 drinks in each binge.
Alcohol has a serious impact on the central nervous system and is linked to over 200 different medical conditions and diseases. Brain function is specifically impacted by excessive alcohol use.
Alcohol abuse has many short-term effects such as lack of coordination, slurred speech, memory loss, and impaired judgement. There are also serious long-term consequences such as liver damage, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, depression, and anxiety.
Men aged between 18 and 25 are the most likely demographic to binge drink and develop an alcohol abuse problem.
It is estimated that 15 million Americans struggle with alcohol abuse disorder each year while only 8% of those individuals receive treatment.
Alcohol is responsible for killing over 95,000 Americans each year.

Opioid Abuse Statistics

There is perhaps no more pressing issue related to substance abuse disorders over the past decade than the epidemic of opioid use. The number of lives that it has impacted in just a short time is nothing short of astronomical. While the tides are beginning to turn on opioid use with statistics pointing to a small downward trend in use amongst some demographics, much damage persists.

50,000 people die each year from opioid misuse.
3.4% of the American population over the age of 12 years old will misuse opioids at least once over a 12-month span.
At least 1% of the population, over 2.7 million Americans, qualify as having an opioid use disorder.
38% of all drug overdose deaths in the United States can be attributed to the abuse of opioid painkillers. Many of these are drugs obtained legally through a prescription with Hydrocodone being the most prominent.
Over 16,000 people died as a result of an opioid overdose in 2020.
There was an 8.1% decline in opioid use in Americans over the age of 12 between 2019 and 2020. This is a positive trend!
More than 75% of worldwide opium production takes place in Afghanistan. Between 2016 and 2017, production in Afghanistan increased by a staggering 87% yielding 9000 tons annually.
$78.5 billion. That is the cost of opioid abuse annually in healthcare, legal costs, and lost productivity in America.
Pharmacies fill a mind-boggling 153 million prescriptions for opioids each year. This would be enough for almost half of Americans to be prescribed opioids.

Prescription drug use in the United States

The United States overwhelmingly spends more on prescription drugs than any other nation in the world due in large part to the out-of-pocket expense Americans are subject to for medication.
66% of all Americans are actively taking some type of prescription drug. This amounts to 131 million Americans.
Older Americans make up the largest share of these individuals. Generally speaking, as Americans age, the more prescriptions they take.
Prescription drug misuse is rampant in American society including 16.1 million individuals who admit to missing psychotherapeutic drugs and 9.3 million admiring missing prescription painkillers.

Who is abusing drugs in the United States?

Now that we know about what types of drugs are abused and how, the next question is, what population demographic groups are most likely the experience substance abuse disorder?

22% of males and 17% of females have used drugs in the past year.
Younger individuals are more likely to use drugs, however, use amongst those over 40 years of age is on a steady increase. In fact, drug-related deaths amongst those over 50 years of age increase almost 3% annually.
Those who have previously used drugs and those who were recently released from prison are the demographics most at risk for substance abuse disorder.
80% of veterans struggle with alcohol abuse. 7% of veterans suffer from illegal drug abuse as compared to 5% of the general population.
West Virginia has the nation’s highest rate of overdose deaths with 51.5 per 100,000.

Aiding in the fight against substance use disorder

Given the unfortunate magnitude of the substance use disorder problem in the United States, there are a number of non-profit and community-based organizations that are devoted to helping those most affected. Their noble work helps those who suffer from substance abuse recover and lead healthy, productive lives.

PlanStreet’s case management software is uniquely positioned to suit the needs of substance use agencies and addiction treatment services. Our flexible and customizable platform ensures that your organization will find the right fit of tools and reports that takes your work to the next level.

If your organization is ready to take the next step to enhance staff performance, achieve lofty goals, and better serve your community, schedule a time to meet with us and learn how we can help. PlanStreet is ready to get you to the next level.