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Trends & Statistics

Brief Description

There are a variety of sources of information NIDA uses to monitor the prevalence and trends regarding drug abuse in the United States. The resources below cover a variety of drug related issues, including information on drug usage, emergency room data, prevention and treatment programs, and other research findings.

Costs of Substance Abuse

Abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is costly to our Nation, exacting over $600 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and healthcare.**

  Health Care Overall
Tobacco $96 billion $193 billion
Alcohol $30 billion $235 billion
Illicit Drugs $11 billion $193 billion

Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF)

Monitoring the Future logo

Results from a yearly survey of teenagers conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and funded by NIDA. (Survey results, updated each autumn.) View survey results and MTF publications.

Related Publications

High School and Youth Trends (DrugFacts)

Revised December 2012.
Describes trends in high school and youth drug abuse and addiction, with an emphasis on marijuana, cigarettes, prescription drugs, alcohol and ecstasy. En Español

Nationwide Trends (DrugFacts)

Published April 2011. Revised December 2012.
Examines nationwide trends in drug abuse and addiction among youth, describing lifetime, past year and past month use for alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. En Español

Drug-Related Hospital Emergency Room Visits (DrugFacts)

Revised May 2011.
Provides national estimates on drug-related visits to hospital emergency departments and makes comparisons with previous years’ data. Discusses illicit drugs, alcohol and other drugs, and prescription drugs. En Español

Treatment Statistics (DrugFacts)

Revised March 2011.
Reports data on the number of people in need of drug abuse treatment and characteristics of admissions to and discharges from substance abuse treatment facilities. En Español

Workplace Resources (DrugFacts)

Revised July 2008.
Reports on workplace trends among substance abusers and describes the benefits employers have found after implementing drug-free workplace programs. En Español

Related Resources

Sources:

** Costs:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a3.htm
  • Rehm J, Mathers C, Popova S, Thavorncharoensap M, Teerawattananon Y, Patra J. Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. Lancet. 2009 Jun 27;373(9682):2223-33
  • National Drug Intelligence Center (2010). National Threat Assessment: The Economic Impact of Illicit Drug Use on American Society. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice.

Other Resources

Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on our Archives site.

This page was last updated December 2012

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