Drug Addiction Facts and Statistics

Currently, the United States is experiencing some of the highest levels of drug addiction than at any time in its history. And while many drugs that were popular in the 1970's are no longer as commonly abused today, the numbers are still staggering overall.

Consider the following information about drug addiction – and how it has invaded almost every segment of our society.

Drug Addiction Facts and Statistics

The information below pertains to drug addiction and drug abuse in the United States – at both a national and state-by-state level.

The number of people who died as a result of a cocaine overdose was 699 in 2004. In 1992 that number was 223.
Between the years 2001 and 2005, the number of Americans between the age of 50 and 59 who were using illegal drugs rose from 2.5 percent to 4.7 percent.
Over six million children in America live with at least one parent who has a drug addiction.
Since 1980, the number of deaths related to drug overdoses has risen over 540 percent.
The most commonly abused drug (other than alcohol) in the United States by individuals over the age of 12 is Marijuana, followed by prescription painkillers, cocaine and hallucinogens.
Each year, drug abuse and drug addiction cost employers over 122 billion dollar in lost productivity time and another 15 billion dollars in health insurance costs.
Baltimore, Maryland has more per capita individuals living with heroin addiction than any other state in the U.S.
Since 1990, the number of individuals who take prescription drugs illegally is believed to have risen by over 500 percent.

Going Beneath the Numbers on Drug Addiction Statistics

So what can one conclude about these eye opening statistics? Certainly, the "War on Drugs" which Nancy Reagan and the DEA began waging during the 1980's has had little success to curtail drug use in the United States. What is most important about these drug statistics is how we react to them.

What is To Be Done About Drug Addiction?

Rather than wait for help from the government, individuals are urged to fight back against drug addiction at the "home level." That means, anyone who has a friend, family member or loved one who is struggling with drug addiction needs to get them into an addiction treatment program so that they can receive the proper care required to defeat the problem.

Michael's House treats drug addiction one individual at a time from their residential rehab facility in Palm Springs, California. Contact Michael's House today at for more information.