What are the most used illicit drugs in the United States?
The most commonly used illicit drugs in the United States are marijuana, cocaine, and LSD. As of 2020, around 126 million people in the United States had used marijuana at some point in their lifetime, while 39 million had used cocaine and 28 million LSD. The number of people who stated they had used cocaine in their lifetime has fluctuated over the past decade, but has not seen any significant changes. On the other hand, the number of people who have used heroin in their lifetime has increased in the past few years with 6.3 million in 2020, compared to 5.1 million in 2018. As of 2020, it was estimated that over half a million people in the United States were dependent on or abused heroin.Drug use among teens
The most commonly used illicit drugs among U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 are marijuana, inhalants, and LSD and other hallucinogens. As of 2021, around 23 percent of these students reported they had used marijuana in their lifetime, while only 1.4 percent had used cocaine. However, the lifetime prevalence of any illicit drug use for teens has decreased significantly over the past two decades. In 2021, just 27 percent of those in grades 8, 10, and 12 reported using an illicit drug in their lifetime, compared to 41 percent in the year 2001. The availability of certain drugs for teens has also decreased in recent years with only 17 percent of 12th graders saying it was “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get cocaine in 2021, compared with 46 percent in 2001.How many people die from drugs in the United States?
The death rate from drug overdose in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade. This increase in drug overdose deaths is mostly due to opioids such as prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. This increase in overdose deaths due to opioids is referrred to as the opioid epidemic. In 2020, around 91,800 people in the United States died from a drug overdose, with men accounting for around 69 percent of these deaths. The states with the highest death rates from drug overdose are West Virginia, Kentucky, and Delaware.
