Addiction in America: By the Numbers

21.5 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2014.

By
JEFF SCHNEIDER and EMILY QUARTARO
June 17, 2016, 11:55 AM ET
2 min read

— -- The abuse of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs costs the U.S. $700 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care.

Watch the video above to learn about addiction in the U.S. by the numbers.

1. 21.5 million: The amount of people aged 12 or older in 2014 had a substance use disorder in the past year.

2. 1 in 5: The amount of young adults in 2014 who were users of illicit drugs.

3. 7,800:The daily number of people 12 and over who tried an illicit drug for the first time.

4. Marijuana: The drug most new illicit drug users begin with. Followed by prescription pain relievers and then inhalants.

5. 700 Billion: The amount the abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs costs to our Nation annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care.

6. 3x: The amount the business of recovery has increased in the last 25 years.

7. 14,000: The amount of addiction treatment facilities.

8. 35 billion: The annual revenue generated by the addiction treatment industry.

9. 11%: The amount of Americans in 2013 who needed treatment for an addiction problem that actually received treatment.

10. For more information including treatment options and support for addicts and their families contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: SAMHSA. 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit their website at http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help.

SOURCES:

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2105) Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-48, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4863. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

National Drug Intelligence Center. National Drug Threat Assessment. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice; 2011.www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/44849/44849p.pdf(PDF, 8MB)

National Institute on Drug Abuse: The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction.

Heatlthaffairs.org.