Number Of Addicts In The Us

If Enacted The Opioid Workforce Act Of 2019 Would Add 1000 More Federally

21.2 million Americans have a substance use disorder. In 2018, just 11% of those patients received the treatment they needed. And one in five people wrestling with an addiction say they do not know where to turn for help.

In many places, theres no one nearby with specialized expertise.

Just 1,883 physicians nationwide are certified in addiction medicine, while an additional 1,288 physicians are qualified to practice addiction psychiatry, according to the American Board of Medical Specialties . Meanwhile, the American Board of Pain Medicine counts just 2,200 certified and practicing pain management physicians.

The rural parts of the United States suffer the most when it comes to addiction medicine, says Scott Teitelbaum, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

Indeed, in some parts of the country, patients have nowhere locally available to access effective treatment, says Sarah Wakeman, MD, medical director for the Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorder Initiative and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She cites a 2015 study that found that half of all US counties did not have a single physician able to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction. National data from 2017 show that rural counties are even harder hit: 60% lack a physician provider able to prescribe buprenorphine, though thats down from 67% in 2012.

Number Of People In The Us Who Used Methamphetamine In The Lifetime From 2009 To 2016

12,908,000 people in the U.S. admitted to have used methamphetamine in their lifetime in 2009.

• In 2010, the number of one-time methamphetamine users dropped to 13,060,000.
• There was a decrease in the number of people who have used amphetamine within their lifetime between 2010 and 2011. The number dropped by 1,132,000.
• Since 2011, we can observe a steady rise in the use of methamphetamine by people 12 years and older. In 2015, 14,533,000 people in the U.S. answered that they have tried methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime.
• The 2014 results were not comparable due to methodological changes.

An Epidemic Of Addictions In The United States

There is no single comprehensive epidemiology of addictive behaviors in the United States, in part because there is no consensus on the definition and diagnosis of addiction, and in part because the data are not comprehensively collected and analyzed to understand the prevalence and co-morbidities of various kinds of addictions. It is clear that some individuals are highly vulnerable to multiple addictions, in part because of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of addiction that are common across addictive behaviors, e.g. a weakening of executive control.

The US is in the midst of epidemics of several addictions, both of substances and behaviors. Recent data of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation show that the US has among the worlds highest rates of substance abuse. The estimates for 2017 are shown in Table 1, comparing the US, Europe, and Global rates of disease burden for various categories of substance abuse. The measures are the Disability-Adjusted Life Years per 100,000 population. For example, the US lost 1,703.3 DALYs per 100K population from all forms of drug use, the second-highest rate of drug-use disease burden in the world. The US rate compares with 340.5 DALYs per 100K in Europe, roughly one-fifth of the US rate.

While there is no comprehensive data on the prevalence of addictions, academic studies and government reports suggest addiction epidemics in several areas, including the following :

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Cost Of Drug Rehab In Nebraska

Nebraska ties in 40th in states with the cheapest to most expensive cost of residential drug abuse treatment . Nebraska is among the top 10 most expensive states for outpatient drug rehabilitation services. Heroin became the replacement drug for opiates as opiates became too expensive in the state.

• In Nebraska there are 137 active substance abuse clinics.
• 5,868 clients in Nebraska are serviced annually for drug rehab.
• 4,982 clients enroll in Nebraskas drug rehab outpatient services annually.
• 0.4% or $9.24 million of the U.S. publics total is spent on outpatient services in Nebraska.
• On average an individual patient in outpatient rehab in Nebraska can expect to pay $1,855.
• 883 clients enroll in Nebraskas drug rehab residential services.
• 1.0% or $51.9 million of the U.S. publics total is spent on residential treatment in Nebraska.
• On average an individual enrolled in Nebraska residential rehab can expect to pay $58,777.
• 3 clients are in Nebraskas hospitals for drug rehab.
• 3 facilities in Nebraska offer free drug rehab treatment for all patients.

Alcohol Abuse And Addiction Rates In The United States

Alcohol is the most commonly misused substance in the United States. While many adults drink in moderation, for some, this can become a compulsive and addictive habit.

Rates that apply to the type of alcohol use disorder :

• 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 .
• 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.

Drunk driving rates:

• More than 10,000 people die in drunk-driving crashes each year.
• On average, 29 people die each day in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver.

Alcohol-related fatalities:

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Cost Of Drug Rehab In District Of Columbia

If the District of Columbia were a state, it would be the most expensive state for residential drug abuse rehabilitation . If D.C. were a state, it would rank 2nd cheapest for outpatient drug rehabilitation services. Nearly all opioid overdose cases in D.C. are related to fentanyl, approximately 94%.

• In Washington D.C., there are 31 active rehabilitation clinics.
• Washington D.C. drug rehab clinics service 1,827 clients annually.
• 1,671 patients enroll in D.C. drug rehab outpatient services annually.
• 0.1% or $2.31 million of the U.S. publics total is spent on outpatient services in D.C.
• On average an individual patient in outpatient rehab in D.C. can expect to pay $1,382.
• 156 patients enroll in D.C. drug rehab residential services.
• 0.2% or $10.38 million of the U.S. publics total is spent on residential treatment in District of Columbia.
• On average an individual enrolled in D.C. residential rehab can expect to pay $66,538.
• No patients were recorded in D.C. hospitals for drug rehab.
• There are no facilities in Washington D.C. that offer free drug rehab treatment for all clients.

Dependence Addiction & Mental Health

Non-sanctioned/non-medical/non-prescribed use of these controlled substances is considered drug abuse. They are likely to create physical or psychological dependence.

• 9.5 million or 3.8% of adults over the age of 18 have both a substance abuse disorder and a metal illness.
• SUDs affect over 20 million Americans aged 12 and over.
• Most common disorders are related to marijuana and prescription pain relievers.
• Major Depressive Episodes affect 3.5 million adolescents and 4.6 million young adults nationwide.
• 51.5 million or 20.6% of adults over the age of 18 have a mental illness.
• 13.1 million or 5.2% of adults have a serious mental illness.
• 358,000 or 1.5% of all adolescents in the US have had both an SUD and an MDE within the last year.
• 1.2% of all adolescents had both an SUD and MDE resulting in severe impairment.
• 8.5% of adolescents with MDE were more likely to binge drink than those without .
• 32.7% of adolescents with ME were more likely to use an illegal drug than those without .
• Among adolescents with both an MDE and SUD, 65.7% received either substance abuse treatment at a specialty facility or mental health services.

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Opioid Overdose Deaths By Drug Type

Fatal opioid overdoses are generally recorded according to many subcategories. Figures come from 2019 data.

Main categories include:

• Synthetic Opioid Deaths : 36,359
• Heroin Deaths: 5,273

From 2018 to 2019, drug overdoses involving all drugs increased by 5% while opioid-involved deaths increased by approximately 6%.

Heroin deaths and prescription opioid deaths decreased by 6% and 7% respectively.

However, synthetic opioid-related deaths increased by over 15%.

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Reasons For Increased Drug Use

There is no single cause for the increasing rates of drug usage in the United States. People have varying reasons for why they turn to drug use, as well as when and why they decide to seek treatment. The most likely demographics to use drugs include teenagers, young adults, Baby Boomers, and overall men more than women. But there are some factors that may influence people, in general, to experiment with or use drugs. Some of the factors include:

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Addiction In America: By The Numbers

21.5 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2014.

& #151 — The abuse of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs costs the U.S. $700 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care.

Watch the video above to learn about addiction in the U.S. by the numbers.

1. 21.5 million: The amount of people aged 12 or older in 2014 had a substance use disorder in the past year.

2. 1 in 5: The amount of young adults in 2014 who were users of illicit drugs.

3. 7,800:The daily number of people 12 and over who tried an illicit drug for the first time.

4. Marijuana: The drug most new illicit drug users begin with. Followed by prescription pain relievers and then inhalants.

5. 700 Billion: The amount the abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs costs to our Nation annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care.

6. 3x: The amount the business of recovery has increased in the last 25 years.

7. 14,000: The amount of addiction treatment facilities.

8. 35 billion: The annual revenue generated by the addiction treatment industry.

9. 11%: The amount of Americans in 2013 who needed treatment for an addiction problem that actually received treatment.

10. For more information including treatment options and support for addicts and their families contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: SAMHSA. 1-800-662-HELP or visit their website at http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help.

Heatlthaffairs.org.

Usa Substance Abuse And Mental Illness Statistics

Substance use and mental illness are each difficult to deal with on their own and tend to correlate. People who suffer from mental illnesses are significantly more likely than those who donât to use drugs.

3.6 million people suffer from both a substance use disorder and a serious mental illness or mental health crisis.

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Other Substance Abuse Statistics

In 2019, the most commonly used drugs based on the number and percentage of users are:2, 3

• Psychotherapeutic drugs: 16.3 million
• Hallucinogens: 6 million
• Cocaine: 5.5 million
• Inhalants: 2.1 million
• Methamphetamines: 2 million
• Heroin: 745,000

Forty-five percent of surveyed Americans said they tried at least once.16

A third of those who used marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder. One in 6 people who started using marijuana before the age of 18 become addicted.3

In 2020, marijuana use reached its highest rate among college students, at 44 percent.3, 17

Hallucinogens are also popular among college students. In 2020, nearly 9 percent of college students used hallucinogens, which is higher than the 5 percent figure in the previous year.17

Other drug abuse statistics:

• In 2017, around 1 in 5 drug overdose deaths were cocaine-related. The highest rate of overdoses and deaths is among non-Hispanic black populations.3
• So-called club drugs are mainly used by young people in higher-income brackets.3
• Meth and fentanyl are seen as the most significant threats in western and midwestern areas of the U.S.3

At 51.5 deaths per 100,000 people, West Virginia has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the U.S.3

How Have Other Countries Dealt With Opioid Addiction

Netherlands. The Netherlands permits the sale and use of small amounts of cannabis to steer users away from so-called hard drugs , such as cocaine and heroin, and has implemented harm-reduction policies. In the 1990s the country began offering heroin at no cost, and the rate of high-risk or problem use was halved from 2002 to some fourteen thousand cases in 2012, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which estimates that the total has since leveled off. Proponents of decriminalization point to the Netherlands for evidence that these policies work, though critics claim they have not curbed organized crime.

Canada. Amid its own opioid crisis, Canada has authorized the opening of supervised consumption sites and partnered with China to curb fentanyl flows into the country. British Columbia and Alberta, two of Canadas most populous provinces, declared a public health emergency and crisis, respectively, boosting funding for addiction treatment and increasing access to the drug naloxone, which can counteract opioid overdoses in emergencies. Additionally, in 2018, the health ministry called on drug manufacturers and distributors to halt most marketing and advertising for opioids. Opioid-related deaths in the country declined modestly in 2019, butlike in the United Statesthe total jumped amid the pandemic in 2020, to more than six thousand.

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What Is The United States Doing To Restrict Foreign Narcotics

Since 2007, the United States has provided Mexico with more than $3 billion in security and counternarcotics aid, including for police and judicial reforms, in a program known as the Merida Initiative. U.S. officials say the initiative led to the capture of some top cartel leaders, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, but Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has sharply criticized the agreement, and in 2021, the two countries announced a new bilateral framework for health and security cooperation. Through a similar partnership with Colombia, the United States provided almost $10 billion beginning in 2000 that program effectively drew to a close following the end to the civil conflict there in 2016.

The DEA has also coordinated efforts with China, the primary source of fentanyl in the United States in the mid-2010s. Amid sustained U.S. diplomatic pressure, Beijing made several moves to crack down on fentanyl production, culminating in a 2019 ban on the production, sale, and export of all fentanyl-related substances. Experts note, however, that Beijings cooperation has lessened as bilateral relations have strained.

Recent Drug Overdose Deaths

More than four times as many people died from drug overdose than from homicide in the first month of 2021.

• 96,779 drug overdose deaths were reported from March 2020 to March 2021.
• OD death totals during this period are 36.1% higher than the previous annual high from December 2018 to December 2019 .
• Preliminary reports indicate the number of drug overdose deaths in America increased 29.6% in 2020.
• In January 2021, drug overdose deaths exceeded homicides by 306.7%.
• Motor vehicle accidents and suicides combined killed 84.5% as many as ODs.

Deadliest Drugs

*This chart includes attributable deaths for each drug some deaths involve multiple drug types, and percentage totals will exceed 100%.

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Effects Of Videogame Addiction Facts

The usage rate of video games may not be as striking as those of smartphones and social media, but the effects of excessive play are nothing to be scoffed at. Videogame addiction, if left unchecked, can ruin lives, friendships, careers, and ones health. It can also lead to violence should the exchanges of insults on the games chat function go overboard or if money is involved. While theres no conclusive evidence to prove it, a lot of adults believe that the violence in video games can influence a gamers behavior.

• Videogame addiction can lead to poor sleeping habits and insomnia, a disruption in eating habits, reduced social skills, losing friends, and a heightened risk for seizures. It can also affect ones scholastic or professional success.
• Excessive video gameplay may be a coping mechanism for those who have depression, anxiety, ADHD, and autism.
• 6 in 10 American adults believe that violent video games contribute to the countrys gun violence problem.
• Symptoms of excessive gameplay include fatigue, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, and a lack of personal hygiene.

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What Is The United States Doing To Reduce Demand

Previous federal antidrug campaigns relied on incarceration to deter drug use and trafficking. This approach has been widely criticized for failing to keep people from cycling in and out of prison and for disproportionately targeting Black Americans. In recent years, federal and state officials have shifted toward prevention and treatment. Some city and local governments have launched what are known as harm-reduction programs, which focus on limiting virus transmission and overdoses through the promotion of safer drug use. Critics of such programs argue that decriminalization would lead to higher rates of drug use.

President Barack Obama reduced prison sentences for hundreds of nonviolent drug offenders during his tenure. However, he failed to secure legislation that would have eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for federal drug crimes. His administration also established hundreds of new drug courts, which proponents say are an effective alternative to incarceration. Drug courts, the first of which was launched in 1989, under the George H.W. Bush administration, provide nonviolent offenders an alternative to the criminal justice system that involves monitoring and rehabilitation services rather than prison time. In 2016, Obama signed legislation authorizing more than $1 billion in funding, largely in the form of state grants, to expand opioid treatment and prevention programs.

In recent years, federal and state officials have shifted toward prevention and treatment.

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