Illegal Drug Use Statistics

July 21st, 2011

A national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed Alaska to be the most drug-loving state, with Utah and Iowa ranking as the most abstinent. 11.5% of Alaska residents ages 12 and older used marijuana in the last month and 13.5% had used some sort of illicit drug, the highest figures among all 50 states for both categories. Utah residents reported the most infrequent marijuana use at 3.6%, while 14.1% reported binge drinking within the past month. The highest binge drinking rate was found in North Dakota at 29.8%.

Tobacco use was highest in Kentucky, with 32% of residents partaking in the past month. Utah once again scored the lowest in this category at 16.4%.

The figures for recreational prescription pain reliever use looked a bit different. Oklahoma residents scored the highest, at 8.1% and Iowa/Nebraska residents scored the lowest at 3.6%, showing that the perception of high pain pill use in the rural Midwest is at once true and false.

Overall figures for America were as follows: in the past month, 23.6% of Americans have smoked a cigarette, 6.4% have used marijuana, and 29.8% have engaged in binge drinking.