Substance Abuse Statistics in U.S. Adults

Substance abuse is a growing problem. It is also a multifaceted problem. Sadly, over 40 million people suffer from some form of addiction, whether it is dependence on alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs.

Although substance abuse is a global problem, it presents a particular challenge for the United States. With no more than 5 percent of the world’s population, the nation consumes a stunning 75 percent of the world’s pharmaceutical drugs, many of which are taken illicitly by people with no medical prescription.

Young adults are also at increased risk of practicing risky behaviors and developing crippling or even deadly addiction problems. Indeed, statistics continually show that those in the 18- to 25-year-old age group use drugs and alcohol at a significantly higher rate than other age groups.

Finally, the problem seems to be getting worse. Unfortunately, recent years have seen an alarming increase in the prevalence of substance abuse. Daily usage of marijuana among college students has more than tripled since the mid-1990s, while prescriptions drug deaths have increased by the same amount between 2001 and 2014.