Teen Suicide, Binge Drinking Decline, New National Data Show

The use of cocaine, alcohol, and prescription opioids in the US has declined over the last 4 years, data from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed.

Among adolescents aged 12-17 years, suicidal ideation and attempts declined. Nearly 1 in 5 reported moderate or severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. This is the first time this outcome has been included in the survey. 

The percentage of those aged 12 years or above with a drug use disorder in the past year increased from 8.7% in 2021 to 9.8% in 2024 whereas those with a past-year alcohol use disorder decreased from 10.6% to 9.7% over the same time period.

The data consist of self-reported surveys from nearly 70,000 people aged 12 years or above across the country and details trends of mental health conditions and substance use change.

“These data are incredibly valuable to researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and others, allowing for greater understanding of the nation’s behavioral health, and to help inform actions in support of President Trump’s vision to Make America Healthy Again [MAHA],” said Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Art Kleinschmidt, PhD, MBA, LPC, LAC, in the news release. 

The report was published online on July 28.

Marijuana, Hallucinogen Use Rising

Among substances included in the survey, alcohol was used most often, with 46.6% reporting usage in the previous month. In 2024, 134.3 million people reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to completing the survey, a decline of 400,000 from 2023. 

The number of adults binge drinking in the prior month also dropped from 45.6% in 2023 to 43.1% in 2024.

Among people aged 12 years or older, 63.7 million people reported past month use of tobacco products or vaped nicotine. Among adolescents aged 12-17 years who reported tobacco or nicotine use, 71.5% consumed nicotine solely by vaping.

From 2021 to 2024, marijuana consumption in the overall cohort rose from 19.0% to 22.3% and hallucinogen use increased by roughly 1%.

Over the past year, 1 in 4 Americans reported using an illicit drug, including 4.3 million who used cocaine (0.2% decrease from 2021) and 7.6 million who misused prescription opioids (0.4% decrease from 2021). 

There was no change in rates of suicidal ideation or attempts among adults overall during the study period. However, the rate of attempts increased by 0.4% among those aged 50 years or older, or an increase of roughly 500,000 people. 

Attempted suicides among teens decreased from 3.6% to 2.7%.

About 1 in 5 people who were identified as needing substance abuse treatment received that treatment in the year prior to the survey. Among the 61.5 million adults with any mental illness, over half received mental health treatment in the past year.

The findings come after months of federal budget cuts; earlier this year, an alliance of professional mental health organizations spoke out about the dangers of such losses to SAMSHA. So far, a third of the agency’s staff has been cut and $1 billion withdrawn from its operating budget.

“The reality is we are facing unique addiction and mental health challenges in our country…By addressing mental health and addiction head-on we can make real, tangible progress in achieving our MAHA goals and realize a future where individuals, families, and communities are healthy and thriving,” Kleinschmidt said in an accompanying release.