Non-medical Drug Use - Past Year

Non-medical Drug Use - Past Year in United States

United States

The use of illicit drugs, including the use of prescription drugs without a doctor's guidance, can be dangerous and have long-lasting consequences. While some short-term effects may be minor, emergency departments see almost 2 million non-fatal poisonings a year, nearly 1 million of which are non-fatal drug overdoses. Additional short-term effects include heart attack, stroke, psychosis, overdose and death. Potential long-term effects include contracting diseases like HIV, hepatitis and endocarditis or developing a medical condition such as heart disease, certain cancers and mental illness. Substance abuse can lead to addiction — also called substance use disorder — which often requires lifelong management. 

In 2020, it was estimated that nearly 24 million people in the United States ages 12 and older used an illicit drug other than marijuana (including cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, methamphetamines and misused prescription psychotherapeutics, which include pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives) in the past year.

The health consequences of using illicit drugs or prescription drugs without a doctor's guidance are costly to both individuals and society. In 2007, it was estimated that illicit drug use cost the U.S. $193 billion. Emergency room visits for drug misuse have increased from about 33 visits per 10,000 people in 2009 to about 40 visits per 10,000 people in 2017.

The prevalence of past-year non-medical drug use is higher among:

• Men compared with women. 
• Adults who identified as other race compared with all other racial/ethnic groups. Asian and Black adults had the lowest prevalences.
• Adults with some post-high school education and college graduates compared with those with less education. 
• Adults with an annual household income of less than $25,000 compared with those with higher annual incomes.

Non-medical drug use can be prevented and treated. The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists 16 principles for choosing and implementing substance abuse prevention programs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has evidence-based programs and resources for parents, schools and primary care doctors, many of them focusing on children and adolescents.

When prevention is no longer an option, there are research-based treatment programs. Treatment often requires lifelong management. SAMHSA’s treatment locator can help individuals find state-licensed providers specializing in substance use disorders.

Healthy People 2030 has several drug-related objectives, including decreasing the proportion of adolescents who used any illicit drug in the past 30 days and maintaining the baseline proportion of adults who used any illicit drug in the past 30 days.

Liu, Stephen, Lawrence Scholl, Brooke Hoots, and Puja Seth. “Nonfatal Drug and Polydrug Overdoses Treated in Emergency Departments — 29 States, 2018–2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 69, no. 34 (August 28, 2020): 1149–55. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6934a1.

Rui, Pinyao. “QuickStats: Number of Emergency Department Visits for Substance Abuse or Dependence per 10,000 Persons Aged ≥18 Years, by Age Group — United States, 2008–2009 and 2016–2017.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 68, no. 50 (December 20, 2019): 1171. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6850a7.