In the U.S., past year methamphetamine use among people aged 12+ increased from 0.6% in 2015 to 0.9% in 2023 (Figure 1), amounting to about 2.6 million users. An estimated 1.8 million (0.6%) developed methamphetamine use disorder for dependence and abuse (NSDUH, 2023).
From 2015-2018, young adults aged 18 to 25 years had highest prevalence of past year methamphetamine use of all age groups. Past year methamphetamine use among young adults aged 26 or older increased since 2016, and became the age group with the highest prevalence of past year methamphetamine use by 2020. In 2023, past year methamphetamine use among adults aged 26+ was 1.1%, and was lower among young adults aged 18-25 at 0.3% and among youth aged 12-17 at 0.2% (Figure 1).
From 2016-2022, past year methamphetamine use was consistently higher in California than in the US overall among people aged 12+. In 2021-2022, the rate of past year methamphetamine use in California was 1.4 times that of the US overall (1.35% vs. 0.95%) (Figure 2).
In both California and nationally, adults aged 26+ have been driving the increases in past year methamphetamine use in recent years, as past year use among young adults aged 18-25 decreased and past year use among youth aged 12-17 remained relatively stable.
In 2021-2022, the past year methamphetamine use rate in Californian adults aged 26+ (1.65%) was 4.5 times higher than that of Californian young adults aged 18-25 (0.37%). It was also 1.5 times higher than that of US adults aged 26+ (1.12%) and 3.3 times higher than that of US adults aged 18-25 (0.5%) (Figure 3).
In 2016-2018, Los Angeles County (LAC) had higher past year methamphetamine use compared to the national average overall, but lower than the state average among adults aged 12+ (Figure 4).
Within LAC regions, SPA 4 (Metro, 1.18%) had the highest past year methamphetamine use, which SPA 3 (San Gabriel, 0.75%) had the lowest rate (Figure 5).
Among high school students, the percent that had ever used methamphetamine has been decreasing from 2003-2021 in the US.
Los Angeles County (LAC), which historically had a high prevalence of ever use of methamphetamine among high school students, had consistent large decreases since 2005, nearing that of the overall US estimates in 2017. In 2019, the percent of LAC increased to 3.3.%, while that for California jumped to 8.2%, and that for the US decreased to 2.1% (Figure 5).
Male high school students had a higher estimated prevalence of ever use of methamphetamine than female students in LAC and the US for most years during the 2003-2021 period. However, male students in LAC consistently had a higher estimated prevalence when compared to national estimates for 2005 to 2021. The estimated prevalence among females in LAC was higher than that of males only in 2005.
As of 2021, 2.4% of male students and 1.4% of female students in LAC have ever used methamphetamine in their lifetime (YRBS, 2023) (Figure 6).
In LAC and the US, Latinx high school students had the highest prevalence of ever use of methamphetamine in 2005 (12.2% and 8.8%, respectively), but this has since decreased consistently to 1.7% and 2.3%, respectively in 2021 (Figure 7).
The prevalence of ever use of methamphetamine among high school students of other race/ethnic groups fluctuated over the period. In 2021, whites had the highest prevalence of ever use of methamphetamine compared to other race/ethnic groups in LAC (Figure 7).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2003-2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Youth Online High School Results for Los Angeles. Available at: https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?LID=LO. Accessed on 2023 July 14.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2016-2018 Substate Estimates. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/nsduh/substate-reports
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Tables 1.1A, 1.1B, 4.4B