The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data in the United States

Each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conduct a survey on people living in the United States as to their experience with mental health, substance use, and treatment related behaviors. The 2022 National Survey was published in late November 2023.

The survey provides nationally representative data on the self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs; substance use disorders; mental health conditions; suicidal thoughts and behaviors; and substance use and mental health treatment among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the United States¹. This data allows researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health¹.

SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data Key Findings^1,2

• 8% (168.7 million people) used tobacco products, vaped nicotine, used alcohol, or used an illicit drug in the past month.
  • 1 out of 7 people smoked cigarettes and fewer than 1 out of 30 were underage.
  • 1 out of 12 people vaped nicotine and 1 out of 5 were underage.
  • 7% drank alcohol and 15.1% were underage.
• 3 million people aged 12 or older (24.9%) used illicit drugs in the past year with marijuana being the most used drug by 61.9 million people.
  • 1 out of 5 people using marijuana were aged 12 to 20.
  • 1 out of 9 people vaping marijuana were aged 12 to 20.
  • 7 million people used illicit drugs other than marijuana.
    • 2 million people used central nervous system stimulants such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or prescription stimulants.
    • 9 million people used opioids.
    • 5 million people used hallucinogens.
    • 8 million used tranquilizers or sedatives.
• 7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) reported a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.
  • Of the 27.2 million people with a drug use disorder, 6.1 million people used opioids.
• Almost 1 in 4 adults aged 18 or older reported any mental illness (AMI) in the past year (59.3 million or 23.1%).
  • Of the 59,3 million people, 15.4 million people were diagnosed with a serious mental illness.
  • 1 out of 11 adults had a major depressive episode based on diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5^th edition³.
  • 1 out of 12 adults reported both a mental illness and substance use disorder.
• Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, 19.5% (or 4.8 million people) reported having a major depressive episode (MDE).
  • 1 out of 5 adolescents reported a co-occurring MDE and substance use disorder.
• 1 in 20 adults aged 18 or older had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (13.2 million or 5.2%); 5% (or 3.8 million people) made a suicide plan; and 0.6% (or 1.6 million people) attempted suicide in the past year.
• Over 1 in 8 adolescents aged 12 to 17 had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (13.4% or 3.4 million adolescents), 1 in 15 made suicide plans (6.5% or 1.7 million adolescents), and nearly 1 in 25 (3.7% or 953,000 adolescents) attempted suicide in the past year.

The survey data is used by government agencies and allows researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health. Addressing the nation’s mental health crisis and drug overdose epidemic is a top priority of the Biden-Harris Administration and a core pillar of the Administration’s Unity Agenda¹.

DTPM’s mission is to help fight drug dependency.

We offer drug testing solutions, both screening and confirmation testing, to a variety of testing facilities such as drug courts, treatment centers, physician office labs, reference labs and more. Our screening solutions provide flexibility to a testing site by offering simple point-of-care (POC) test cups or more specific instrumented drug immunoassays. DTPM also offers drug confirmation testing for those testing sites that require confirmatory results. General testing supplies such as gloves, lint-free wipes and pipet tips are also available.

Contact us today to learn how DTPM can help you achieve success in this war on the opioid crisis.

On March 6, 2024   /   Articles