The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released its 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which shows trends in substance use and mental health.
The annual data provide a statistical context for the country’s opioid crisis and other behavioral health matters.
This year’s report found:
- the number of individuals initiating heroin use decreased by more than 50 percent from 2016;
- significantly more people received treatment for their substance use disorder than in 2016;
- young adults continue to have higher rates of cigarette use, alcohol initiation, alcohol use disorder, heroin-related opioid use disorder, cocaine use, methamphetamine use, and LSD use than their younger and older counterparts;
- data between 2015 and 2017 show pregnant women are trending in the wrong direction with respect to use of illicit drugs, including opioids; and
- approximately 8.1 percent of individuals live with a co-occurring mental and substance use disorder.
