TREATMENT FOR
DRUG MISUSE
October 2024
In 2023, about 105,000 people died of
a drug overdose, according to CDC’s
provisional count. While the provisional
count shows a slight decrease in overdose
deaths from 2022, it remains more than
twice as high as the number in 2013.
OVERVIEW
Drug misuse—the use of illicit drugs
and the misuse of prescription
drugs—has been a long-standing
and persistent problem in the United
States. It represents a serious risk
to public health and has resulted in
society and the economy, including
billions of dollars in costs. National
efforts to prevent, respond to, and
recover from drug misuse is on GAO’s
High-Risk List (GAO-23-106203).
In 2023, almost 49 million people
aged 12 or older had a substance
use disorder in the past year. This
included 27 million with a drug use
disorder, according to Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) survey
data. Additionally, drug overdoses
are one of the leading causes of death
in adults, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). Opioids were involved in about
87 percent of all overdose deaths in
2023, according to CDC’s provisional
data. About 80 percent of those deaths
involved synthetic opioids other than
methadone, such as fentanyl.
TREATMENT FOR DRUG
MISUSE
Policy’s 2024 National Drug Control
Strategy includes a “National
GAO-25-107640 Drug Misuse Treatment
Figure 1: Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2013-2023
Treatment Plan” that aims to increase
access to treatment for drug misuse.
We have previously reported on the
continuum of care for treatment
of drug misuse (GAO-21-58). Such
treatment aims to help people reduce
or stop harmful drug misuse, improve
Figure 2: Drug Use Disorder in the Past Year by Race and Ethnicity,
People Aged 12 and Over, 2023
health and social functioning, and
manage the risk of relapse. Based
on an individual’s needs, treatment
may occur in a variety of settings—
including outpatient, residential,
and hospital inpatient. The level
of treatment can vary both within
(provisional data). | GAO-25-107640
Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2023. | GAO-25-107640
Alaska Native, Multiracial, Black, White, and Asian estimates only include non-Hispanic or Latino respondents.
Number of drug overdose deaths (in thousands)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
20232022202120202019201820172016201520142013
44.0
47.1
52.4
63.6
70.2 67.4
70.6
91.8
106.7
105.0
107.9
Provisional
value
Percent with disorder in past year
American Indian/Alaska Native
Multiracial
Black
White
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
19.7%
15.1%
11.4%
9.6%
8.8%
4.4%
