A Look at Drug Abuse Statistics

For one to grasp just how serious the drug abuse problem is in the United States, all he or she has to do is take a good look at drug abuse statistics. The numbers which result from surveys conducted by certain organizations reveal an alarming predicament that society is faced with at present. These statistics are proof that the war on drugs must be intensified and improved if it is to yield positive results.

General Drug Abuse Statistics in the United States

The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) drug abuse statistics reveal that approximately 22.1 million Americans aged 12 or older were battling substance abuse. Out of 22.1 million, 4.2 million were found to abuse only illicit drugs; meanwhile, 2.9 million abused both illicit drugs and alcohol. Illicit drugs include cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, marijuana and prescription drugs (those used for nonmedical purposes).

Marijuana, the most commonly used drug in the United States, is also the most abused of all illicit drugs. Out of the 7.1 million Americans aged 12 or older identified with illicit drug abuse, 4.5 million were found to abuse marijuana or hashish. Alarmingly, the illicit drug with the second highest rate of abuse in 2010 are prescription medications used for nonmedical purposes. Pain relievers in particular were abused by an estimated 1.9 million people aged 12 or older.

Drug Abuse Statistics – Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Education and Employment

The 2010 NSDUH also showed the relationship between substance abuse and age as well as gender. For the demographic of persons aged 12 to 17, there were more females than males identified with substance abuse. For people aged 18 or older, there were more males than females with substance abuse problems.

A connection was also established between substance abuse and race, education and employment in the NSDUH drug abuse statistics. Among all ethnic groups of people aged 12 or older, Asians and Pacific Islanders have the lowest rate of substance abuse (4.1 and 5.6 percent, respectively). It was found that rates of substance abuse were lower for those who graduated from college (7.3 percent) compared to those who just graduated from high school (8.3 percent) or those who did not graduate from high school (10.2 percent).

Drug Abuse Statistics – Treatment

Unfortunately, not everyone gets treatment for alcohol or drug abuse, even if such treatment is necessary. Drug abuse statistics show that though 23.1 million Americans aged 12 or older required treatment for drug or alcohol abuse issues, only 2.6 million received it. This means that 20.5 million people did not get the treatment they needed.

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