Determining whether drug use is up in the U.S. in 2025 depends on the specific drug and metric being analyzed. While overall drug overdose deaths saw an unprecedented decline in 2024, data from early 2025 indicates a potential rise again. Increases in the use of marijuana and hallucinogens contrast with decreases in the misuse of cocaine and prescription opioids.
Here is a breakdown of recent
drug trends, primarily using data from 2024 and early 2025:
Overall trends
- Decrease in 2024, but rising in early
2025: Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) showed an unprecedented drop in U.S. overdose deaths of
nearly 27% during 2024, the largest decrease in over a decade. However, a later
report from January 2025 shows that fatal overdoses increased by about
1,400 over the preceding 12 months, marking a concerning reversal of this
trend.
- Persistent high levels: Even with the decline in 2024, overdose fatalities remain historically high. The CDC report in June 2025 stated that while the death count is down from its 2023 peak, it reflects more deaths in January 2025 than in January 2024.
Trends by substance
Opioids and fentanyl
- Continuing threat: The opioid
epidemic remains a national emergency, with synthetic opioids like
fentanyl continuing to pose the most urgent and deadly threat. Fentanyl's
potency and its frequent combination with other drugs are major drivers of
accidental overdoses.
- Decrease in overdose deaths: CDC data
for 2024 shows a decline in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids,
cocaine, and psychostimulants, compared to 2023.
- Increased harm: While overdose deaths
for some substances declined in 2024, the presence of dangerous additives
like xylazine and medetomidine in the illicit drug supply is increasing
the associated harms and complicating overdose reversal efforts.
- Youth overdose concerns: A July 2025 report noted a 168% increase in fentanyl-only overdoses among young people (ages 15–24) between 2018 and 2022. The report suggests this may be due to unwitting consumption of drugs laced with fentanyl.
Marijuana and hallucinogens
- Increased use: According to the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
past-year marijuana use among Americans aged 12 or older rose from 19.0%
in 2021 to 22.3% in 2024. Hallucinogen use also increased during the same
period.
- Higher youth usage: A higher percentage of young adults aged 18 to 25 reported past-year marijuana use compared to other age groups. The vaping of marijuana is also an increasingly popular trend among young adults.
Cocaine and prescription
opioids
- Decreased misuse: Data from 2021 to 2024 shows a decrease in the past-year misuse of cocaine and prescription opioids.
Context for these trends
- Pandemic-related factors: Drug use
patterns have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused
increased stress, isolation, and mental health issues.
- Regional differences: Drug trends can
vary significantly by location. For example, some CDC reports note that
increases in overdose deaths have been more prominent in certain racial
and ethnic groups, with Black and Hispanic adolescents experiencing the
fastest rise in overdose deaths in recent years.
- Treatment needs: The latest data
shows that a significant number of people with substance use disorders are
not receiving the treatment they need.
- U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease Almost 27% in 2024
While overdose deaths saw a
decline in 2024, overall drug use trends for 2025 show a complex picture, with
increases in the use of certain drugs like marijuana and hallucinogens, but
stability or decreases in others. An increase in the use of highly potent
synthetic drugs continues to pose a significant threat despite overall overdose
numbers leveling out.
Overdose deaths
- Decline in 2024: The most recent data
from the CDC and the organization Trust for America's Health revealed a
significant, though not yet fully explained, reduction in overdose deaths
in 2024, following two decades of steep increases.
- Troubling reversal: However, a
mid-2025 report from NPR indicated a slight
rise in fatal overdoses over the 12-month period ending in January 2025,
suggesting the downward trend may be reversing.
- Potent synthetic drugs remain a threat: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other experts warn that the danger of synthetic drugs like fentanyl remains extremely high due to their potency and widespread availability. Counterfeit pills and the mixing of fentanyl with other drugs, including the tranquilizer xylazine, are also on the rise, increasing the risk of fatal overdose.
General drug use
The Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), using data from its 2024 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health, reported several key changes in overall drug
use:
- Overall illicit drug use stable: The
total percentage of people aged 12 or older using an illicit drug remained
relatively stable between 2021 and 2024, at 16.7%.
- Marijuana use increased: Past-year
marijuana use among individuals aged 12 and older increased from 19.0% in
2021 to 22.3% in 2024. This trend was seen among adults but not among
adolescents.
- Hallucinogen use increased: Past-year
hallucinogen use also rose among adults aged 12 and older, from 2.7% in
2021 to 3.6% in 2024.
- Opioid misuse declined: The misuse of prescription opioids and cocaine saw a decrease between 2021 and 2024.
Teen substance use trends
According to the Partnership to End Addiction, teen
substance use overall is at an all-time low. However, specific trends are still
a cause for concern in 2025:
- Marijuana and vaping: Teen use of
marijuana and nicotine vaping are both on the rise. Experts are
particularly concerned about the potential developmental impacts of
high-potency THC products.
- Perception of risk decreases: With
increasing legalization of marijuana at the state level, fewer teens
perceive marijuana as harmful, which correlates with higher use.
- Fentanyl risk: Teens are especially vulnerable to the risks of fentanyl, as synthetic versions of the drug can be present in counterfeit prescription pills or mixed into other illicit drugs.
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Comments
Drug use is up. Drugs damages brain cells.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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