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Addiction Statistics
Yes, I know that statistics are boring, but it helps once in a while to stop and look at the numbers. Statistics help put the problem of addiction in perspective. When you read about opioid addiction across the nation, you might wonder if it’s media hype. When someone says that alcohol does more damage than all other drugs put together, you might think it’s just a rationalization to make marijuana legal. Let’s just look at the numbers and let them speak for themselves.
First let’s look at the cost to society in healthcare and lost productivity:
Costs of Substance Abuse
Abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is costly to our Nation, exacting more than $700 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care.**
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The following relate to drug overdoses, covering the major drugs used. Between these two links I’ve provided you ought to find most of the latest statistics:
Revised December 2015
The U.S. government does not track death rates for every drug. However, the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does collect information on many of the more commonly used drugs. The CDC also has a searchable database, called CDC Wonder.
National Overdose Deaths—Number of Deaths from Prescription Drugs. The figure above is a bar chart showing the total number of U.S. overdose deaths involving prescription drugs from 2001 to 2014. The chart is overlayed by a line graph showing the number of deaths by females and males. From 2001 to 2014 there was a 2.8-fold increase in the total number of deaths.
National Overdose Deaths—Number of Deaths from Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers. The figure above is a bar chart showing the total number of U.S. overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers from 2001 to 2014. The chart is overlayed by a line graph showing the number of deaths by females and males. From 2001 to 2014 there was a 3.4-fold increase in the total number of deaths.
National Overdose Deaths—Number of Deaths from Benzodiazepines. The figure above is a bar chart showing the total number of U.S. overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines from 2001 to 2014. The chart is overlayed by a line graph showing the number of deaths by females and males. From 2001 to 2014 there was a 5-fold increase in the total number of deaths.
National Overdose Deaths—Number of Deaths from Cocaine. The figure above is a bar chart showing the total number of U.S. overdose deaths involving cocaine from 2001 to 2014. The chart is overlayed by a line graph showing the number of deaths by females and males. From 2001 to 2014 there was a 42 percent increase in the total number of deaths.
National Overdose Deaths—Number of Deaths from Heroin. The figure above is a bar chart showing the total number of U.S. overdose deaths involving heroin from 2001 to 2014. The chart is overlayed by a line graph showing the number of deaths by females and males. From 2001 to 2014 there was a 6-fold increase in the total number of deaths.
Family Consequences:
- More than 10 percent of U.S. children live with a parent with alcohol problems, according to a 2012 study.17
Underage Drinking:
- Prevalence of Underage Alcohol Use:
- Prevalence of Drinking: According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 34.7 percent of 15-year-olds report that they have had at least 1 drink in their lives.18 About 8.7 million people ages 12–2019 (22.8 percent of this age group20) reported drinking alcohol in the past month (23 percent of males and 22.5 percent of females21).
- Prevalence of Binge Drinking: According to the 2014 NSDUH, approximately 5.3 million people22 (about 13.8 percent20) ages 12–20 were binge drinkers (15.8 percent of males and 12.4 percent of females21).
- Prevalence of Heavy Drinking: According to the 2014 NSDUH, approximately 1.3 million people22 (about 3.4 percent20) ages 12–20 were heavy drinkers (4.6 percent of males and 2.7 percent of females21).
- Consequences of Underage Alcohol Use:
- Research indicates that alcohol use during the teenage years could interfere with normal adolescent brain development and increase the risk of developing an AUD. In addition, underage drinking contributes to a range of acute consequences, including injuries, sexual assaults, and even deaths—including those from car crashes.23
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