Illicit Drug Use - Women (18-49)

Illicit Drug Use - Women (18-49) in United States

United States

The use of illicit drugs, including prescription drugs without a doctor's guidance, can be dangerous and have lasting consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 2 million people of all age groups were seen in emergency departments for non-fatal poisonings in 2020. During the same year, there were more than 91,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States, more than 28,000 of which were women. 

Short-term effects of drug misuse include heart attack, stroke, psychosis and death. Long-term risks to health include contracting infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis and heart infections, or developing medical conditions such as heart disease and certain cancers. Substance abuse can also lead to addiction, which often requires lifelong management. Drug use during pregnancy and breastfeeding has become more prevalent in the last decade and may increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Mental health and substance use disorders are frequently related, though one can rarely be said to cause the other. Twenty percent of individuals with a severe mental health disorder will develop a substance use disorder during their lifetime. Experiencing intimate partner violence is associated with a higher risk of substance use. The health consequences of using illicit drugs are costly to both individuals and society. In 2007, the cost of illicit drug use to the U.S. was estimated at $193 billion. Emergency room visits for drug misuse among those ages 18-34 have increased from 45.4 visits per 10,000 people in 2009 to 76 visits per 10,000 in 2017.

The prevalence of illicit drug use is higher among:

• Those ages 16-34 compared with those younger or older.  
• American Native/Alaska Native, multiracial and Black peoples compared with white people. 
• Males compared with females; the death rate associated with illicit drug use is higher among men, but women are more likely to relapse after treatment. 
• Pregnant females ages 15-17 compared with pregnant women over 18.

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.

When prevention is no longer an option, there are evidence-based treatment programs. The Treatment Locator by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) can help individuals find state-licensed providers that specialize in substance use disorders. SAMHSA also provides evidence-based resources for treatment facilities or medical practitioners that provide substance abuse treatment and recovery.

Healthy People 2030 objectives related to illicit drug use include:

• Reducing the proportion of adults who used drugs in the past month.
• Reducing the proportion of people who misused prescription drugs in the past year.
• Reducing the proportion of people who used heroin in the past year.
• Reducing the proportion of women who use illicit opioids during pregnancy. 
• Increasing abstinence from illicit drugs among pregnant women.

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National Drug Intelligence Center. “National Drug Threat Assessment 2011.” Department of Justice, August 2011. https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/44849/44849p.pdf.

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“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.

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Varner, Michael W., Robert M. Silver, Carol J. Rowland Hogue, Marian Willinger, Corette B. Parker, Vanessa R. Thorsten, Robert L. Goldenberg, et al. “Association Between Stillbirth and Illicit Drug Use and Smoking During Pregnancy.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 123, no. 1 (January 2014): 113–25. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000000052.