Methamphetamine, or meth, as it is sometimes shortened to, is a problem in modern society. This drug can be highly addictive. It can devastate someone’s life who gets hooked on it.
Addiction to meth often requires treatment, and there are many clinics that can do that. Here are some startling statistics and facts about meth use that might get your attention if you think this isn’t a very big problem.
Americans with Meth Use Disorder
In 2019, it was estimated that 0.4% of Americans had what doctors would describe as a meth use disorder.
Americans Who Used Meth for the First Time
Sticking with 2019 stats, about 184,000 Americans tried meth for the first time. That’s a significant percentage of the US population.
Americans Who Used Meth in the Past Year
In 2019, about 0.7% of Americans used meth. This stat is different from Americans who had a meth use disorder, as the medical community conventionally describes it.
Violent Crime and Meth Use
In 2009, a study was conducted. It showed that individuals who used meth were nine times more likely to commit a homicide than those who did not use the drug.
Meth Use and Law Enforcement
In 2010, local and state law enforcement agencies reported that meth contributed more to criminal activity than other drugs. Between 50 and 73% of such agencies stated that was the case.
Overdose Deaths Due to Meth Use
In 2017, there were reports of 7.5 times more deaths due to meth overdose than was the case in 2007. That ten-year period saw a major spike in this kind of incident.
Meth Overdoses from 2015-2019
This four-year period saw an even more notable increase. Meth-involved overdoses over this period almost tripled among individuals aged 18-64. The number of people using meth did not change dramatically, though. This could be an indicator that meth users were using more of the drug during that time or possibly that the meth was becoming more potent or volatile.
People Using Meth Between 2015-2019
Another study noted that people who said they used meth 100 days out of the year rose by more than 65% from 2015 and 2019. This means that although more people were not necessarily using meth, the ones who did were becoming more habitual with their use.
Race-Related Meth Stats
A study breaking down meth use by race in recent years saw that out of every 1000 Caucasians, 7.5 used meth. By contrast, 6.7 out of every 1000 Hispanic individuals used it, and 5.6 out of 1000 who were not white or Hispanic used it. This is in line with previous studies that show Caucasians tend to use meth more than other groups.
Meth Use By Age
In 2018, individuals in grades 8,10, and 12 were asked if they had tried meth. The number was %.5 for all those grades.
These stats speak to the problem that meth has been in recent years and continues to be.