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Substance Abuse Trends and Statistics

Providing Trusted, Evidence-Based
Treatment for Three Decades and Counting

If you or a loved one is experiencing addiction, we’re here to help.

Drug rehab centers are filled with individuals who never received a good education about the dangers of substance abuse when they were young, and as such found themselves caught in negative cycle of alcoholism or drug addiction. While learning about drug abuse might not seem important now, when an addiction is in full swing, the stats can tell the tale of the dangers of these drugs, as well as the successful struggles people undertake to get their lives back in order.

Recent Trends and Statistics

It is easy to dismiss opinion regarding the current drug crisis in the United States, but one cannot argue with the facts.


The following statistics have been compiled by some of the top drug agencies in the world, and they provide a clear look at the depth and seriousness of the substance abuse and addiction problems in the US:

All of these statistics can be frightening. Even so, there are some trends regarding substance use that aren’t so very depressing, and this might be good news for people in need.

Good News


Much of the good news regarding substance use and abuse concerns teenagers and the lower levels at which they are using illicit substances. For example:

  • The 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey found that psychotherapeutic drugs were dropping in popularity among those ages 12 to 17, with only 2.8 percent of teens reporting past-month use.
  • In England, drug use rates are dropping so quickly that The Guardian quoted experts who said that drug use is simply “going out of fashion.”
  • Rates of past-month drug use in teens have dropped 17 percent between 2001 and 2004, according to the NIDA.
  • Tobacco use (often a harbinger of drug use) is currently at its lowest level charted by experts since they started keeping track of this data in 1997, the NIDA reports.

While these numbers provide hope that education about the dangers of drug use is working, it is important to stay vigilant on the subject of educating young people about substance abuse and addiction. The younger they are reached, the lower the chance that they will become addicted.

While we monitor these trends carefully at Michael’s House, and we rejoice each time we see those addiction numbers fall, we know that many people still need our help in order to recover. Located in Palm Springs, California, we offer a “whole body” approach to addiction that treats the mind, body, and spirit of the individual. If you have an addiction and you’d like to do more than just read about the issue, contact us at 760.548.4032. We can help.

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