Nebraska Drug and Alcohol Statistics - Methadone dot org (NAMA Recovery)

Statistical Data on Drugs in Nebraska

Nebraska presents a complex picture of substance use and its consequences. While the state consistently reports lower rates of drug overdose deaths compared to the national average, concerns persist about data accuracy and underreporting. The opioid crisis, methamphetamine epidemic, and marijuana use patterns create significant public health challenges. This report synthesizes available data on drug use prevalence, treatment admissions, overdose deaths, and the criminal justice impact of substance abuse in Nebraska.

Drug Overdose Deaths

Overall Overdose Statistics

Current Statistics (2023)

Total deaths: 172
Rate: 9 per 100,000 residents
1.23% of all deaths
71% lower than US national rate

Historical Deaths

2021: 253 deaths
2018: 154 deaths
2017: 183 deaths
2013: 128 deaths
2007: 92 deaths

Trends

22% increase (2018-2023)
38% increase (2013-2023)
73% increase (2010-2022)

Geographic Distribution (2023)

County	Deaths per 100,000
Douglas County	10.9
Lancaster County	8.6

Death Characteristics (2021)

Category	Percentage
Unintentional overdoses	85.4%
Suicide/intentional overdoses	12.3%
Male deaths	58.9%
Female deaths	41.1%
Highest risk age group	35-44 years
Second highest risk age group	25-34 years

Nebraska has experienced significant growth in overdose deaths over recent decades, with synthetic opioids and methamphetamine driving recent increases.

Opioid Crisis

Opioid Overdose Deaths

Current Statistics (2023)

Total deaths: 78
Rate: 4.3 per 100,000 residents
45.3% of all overdose deaths
82.1% lower than US national rate

Historical Deaths

2021: At least 127 deaths (50% of 253 total)
2018: At least 60 deaths
2017: At least 59 confirmed deaths
2016: 44 deaths (2.4 per 100,000)

Synthetic Opioid and Fentanyl Deaths

2021-2023 Period

Total fentanyl/synthetic opioid deaths: 256 Nebraskans
Deaths in 2021-2022 alone: 138 deaths

Current Impact (2023)

78.2% of all opioid deaths involve synthetic opioids
35% of total overdose deaths involve fentanyl

Trends

2.8 times increase (2010-2023)
14% increase (2021-2022)

Prescription Opioid Deaths

Prescription opioids involved in 30.8% of opioid overdose deaths (2023)
Opioid pain relievers contributed to 124 deaths (49%) in 2021
Deaths in 2007 directly attributable to drugs: 92 persons

Opioid Prescribing

Prescriptions written for 42.7% of Nebraska residents (enough for this proportion to have one)
In 2015: 72.8 opioid prescriptions per 100 persons (1.4 million total prescriptions)
National average in 2015: 70 opioid prescriptions per 100 persons

Nebraska Opioid Prescribing

Neonatal and Disease Impacts

Condition	Rate/Statistics
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal syndrome (2020)	4.4 per 1,000 births
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (2001)	0.2 per 1,000 births
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (2013)	1.6 per 1,000 births (8-fold increase)
Hepatitis C linked to IV drug use (2022)	3.1 new cases estimated
HIV/AIDS diagnoses linked to IV drug use (2023)	6.3 new diagnoses

Opioids represent nearly half of all overdose deaths in Nebraska, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl becoming increasingly dominant.

Methamphetamine Crisis

Methamphetamine Overdose Deaths

Overdose Rates

2019: 2.7 per 100,000 Nebraskans
2018: 1.7 per 100,000 Nebraskans

Trends

2.1 times increase (2015-2023)
21% increase in other psychostimulants deaths (2021-2022)

Methamphetamine Use Prevalence

Among Adults (2022-2023)

Past year use among 12+: 0.96% (16,000 persons)
Past year use among 18+: 1.05% (15,000 persons)
Past year use among 18-25: 0.60% (1,000 persons)
Past year use among 26+: 1.13% (14,000 persons)

Historical Data (2010-2013)

Past year use among adults 18+: 0.3% (4,000 persons)
Past year use among 18-25: 1.1%
Past year use among 26+: 0.2%

Trend Analysis (2002-2013)

2002-2005: 1.2% of adults used methamphetamine
2010-2013: 0.3% of adults used methamphetamine (significant decrease)

Youth Methamphetamine Use

Age Group/Year	Percentage
High school students lifetime use (2013)	2.0%
12-17 year-olds past year use (2022-2023)	0.16%

Usage and overdose deaths involving methamphetamine have increased substantially, particularly among older adults, with treatment admissions rising over 200% in a decade.

Substance Use Prevalence

Overall Illicit Drug Use (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Month Use	Estimated Persons
12+ years	12.56%	205,000
12-17 years	6.17%	10,000
18-25 years	19.19%	42,000
26+ years	12.27%	154,000
18+ years	13.29%	195,000

Illicit Drug Use Other Than Marijuana (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Month Use	Estimated Persons
12+ years	2.83%	46,000
12-17 years	1.62%	3,000
18-25 years	3.74%	8,000
26+ years	2.84%	36,000
18+ years	2.97%	44,000

Historical Comparisons

2021-2023

Past month illicit drug use (12+): 12.3%
Lower than US census division average (15.8%) and national average (15.9%)

Nebraska Historical Comparison Statistics

2012-2013

Approximately 6% of Nebraska residents reported past-month illicit drug use
National average: 8%

Youth Comparisons

Nebraska teenagers are 15.03% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than average American teens
90% of 12-17 year-olds who used illicit drugs reported marijuana use

Nebraska consistently reports lower rates of illicit drug use compared to national averages across most age groups.

Marijuana Use

Current Marijuana Use (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Month Use	Estimated Persons
12+ years	11.25%	184,000
12-17 years	5.14%	9,000
18-25 years	19.02%	41,000
26+ years	10.73%	134,000
18+ years	11.94%	175,000

Past Year Marijuana Use (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year Use	Estimated Persons
12+ years	16.93%	277,000
12-17 years	9.24%	15,000
18-25 years	30.70%	67,000
26+ years	15.57%	195,000
18+ years	17.80%	261,000

First-Time Marijuana Use (2022-2023)

Age Group	First Use in Past Year	Estimated Persons
12+ years	2.27%	23,000
12-17 years	3.90%	6,000
18-25 years	6.18%	9,000
26+ years	1.11%	8,000

Historical Data

2021-2023

Past month marijuana use (12+): 10.9%
Lower than US census division (14.6%) and national average (14.5%)

2017-2019

Past year marijuana use (12+): 12.8% (202,000 persons)
Past year use among 18-25: 34.9% (74,000 persons)
Past month marijuana use among 12-17: 6.5% (10,000 persons)

2012-2013

Past month use among adults 18+: 5.4% (74,000 persons)
Past month use among 18-25: 15.07%
Past month use among 26+: 3.68%

Youth Marijuana Use (2013 YRBS)

Past month use among high school students: 11.7% (12,000 youth)
Lifetime use by grade: 9th (10.2%), 10th (23.5%), 11th (32.0%), 12th (28.2%)
Early initiation (before age 13): 5.5% (5,000 youth)
Males: 13.4% past month use
Females: 9.9% past month use

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in Nebraska across all age groups.

Cocaine Use

Cocaine Use Statistics (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year Use	Estimated Persons
12+ years	1.52%	25,000
12-17 years	0.20%	0 (negligible)
18-25 years	3.00%	7,000
26+ years	1.44%	18,000
18+ years	1.67%	25,000

Historical Data

2012-2013

Past year use among adults 18+: 1.3% (18,000 persons)
Past year use among 18-25: 3.56%
Past year use among 26+: 0.93%

Youth Use (2013)

Lifetime cocaine use among high school students: 3.2% (1 in 31 students)
By gender: Males 4.4%, Females 2.0%

Cocaine use in Nebraska has remained relatively stable at low levels.

Prescription Drug Misuse

Prescription Pain Reliever Misuse (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year Misuse	Estimated Persons
12+ years	2.74%	45,000
12-17 years	1.74%	3,000
18-25 years	2.32%	5,000
26+ years	2.94%	37,000
18+ years	2.85%	42,000

Opioid Misuse (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year Misuse	Estimated Persons
12+ years	2.64%	43,000
12-17 years	1.76%	3,000
18-25 years	2.69%	6,000
26+ years	2.75%	34,000
18+ years	2.74%	40,000

Historical Data

2021-2023

Opioid misuse among 12+: 2.6%
Similar to regional average (3.0%), lower than national (3.2%)

2017-2019

Past year pain reliever misuse among 12+: 2.5% (40,000 persons)

2012-2013

Past year non-medical pain reliever use among 18+: 3.5% (48,000 persons)
Past year use among 18-25: 7.88%
Past year use among 26+: 2.74%

Youth Use (2013)

Lifetime prescription drug use without doctor’s prescription: 10.4% of high school students
By grade: 9th (4.5%), 10th (8.6%), 11th (14.1%), 12th (13.5%)

Non-Medical Drug Use

15.0% of adults reported using prescription drugs non-medically or illicit drugs (excluding cannabis) in past year
Nebraska ranked 21st nationally

Prescription pain reliever misuse affects a notable percentage of Nebraskans, though rates remain below national averages.

Heroin Use

Heroin Use Statistics (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year Use	Estimated Persons
18-25 years	0.21%	0 (negligible)
26+ years	0.31%	4,000
18+ years	0.29%	4,000

Historical Data

2017-2019

Past year heroin use among 12+: 0.03% (less than 500 persons)
Lower than national average (0.30%)

2010-2013

Lifetime heroin use among 12+: 0.8% (12,000 persons)
National rate: 1.7%
Rate remained stable from 2002-2005 (0.8%) to 2010-2013 (0.8%)

Nebraska Lifetime Heroin Use Statistics

Youth Use (2013)

Lifetime heroin use among high school students: 1.2% (1 in 83 students)
By gender: Males 1.6%, Females 0.9%

Heroin use remains relatively rare in Nebraska compared to other substances, with rates significantly below national averages.

Substance Use Disorders

Substance Use Disorder (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year SUD	Estimated Persons
12+ years	16.24%	266,000
12-17 years	7.86%	13,000
18-25 years	26.14%	57,000
26+ years	15.64%	196,000
18+ years	17.19%	252,000

Drug Use Disorder (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Year DUD	Estimated Persons
12+ years	8.13%	133,000
12-17 years	6.50%	11,000
18-25 years	14.75%	32,000
26+ years	7.21%	90,000
18+ years	8.32%	122,000

Specific Drug Use Disorders (2022-2023)

Pain Reliever Use Disorder

12+ years: 1.97% (32,000 persons)
12-17 years: 1.80% (3,000 persons)
18-25 years: 1.12% (2,000 persons)
26+ years: 2.14% (27,000 persons)

Opioid Use Disorder

12+ years: 2.04% (33,000 persons)
12-17 years: 1.79% (3,000 persons)
18-25 years: 1.23% (3,000 persons)
26+ years: 2.21% (28,000 persons)

A substantial portion of Nebraska’s population struggles with substance use disorders, they affect over 8% of the population aged 12 and older.

Substance Use Treatment

Treatment Capacity and Utilization

Metric	Value
Active substance abuse clinics	137 facilities
Clients serviced annually	5,868 persons
Outpatient services enrollment (annual)	4,982 clients
Residential (non-hospital) services enrollment (annual)	883 clients
Hospital-based drug rehab patients	3 clients
Facilities offering free treatment	3 facilities

Treatment Receipt (2022-2023)

Age Group	Received Treatment	Estimated Persons
12+ years	4.45%	73,000
12-17 years	4.69%	8,000
18-25 years	5.04%	11,000
26+ years	4.32%	54,000
18+ years	4.43%	65,000

Treatment Need (2022-2023)

Age Group	Needing Treatment	Not Receiving Treatment
12+ years	18.02% (295,000)	75.19% (220,000)
12-17 years	11.22% (19,000)	57.04% (10,000)
18-25 years	27.71% (60,000)	82.58% (50,000)
26+ years	17.25% (216,000)	74.67% (160,000)
18+ years	18.79% (276,000)	76.42% (210,000)

Historical Treatment Data

2012-2013

Persons needing but not receiving treatment: 2.3% (35,000 persons)

Single-Day Count (March 2019)

Total enrolled in treatment: 5,868 people (increased from 5,735 in 2015)

Drug problem only: 29.8%
Alcohol problem only: 21.3%
Both drug and alcohol problems: 48.9%

Treatment Admissions by Primary Drug (2014)

Drug	Percentage	Number of Admissions
Methamphetamine	13.9%	Primary in 8,255 admissions where drug was primary
Marijuana	10.1%	–
Other opiates	5.0%	–
Cocaine	1.4%	–

Total Treatment Admissions

2014: 21,792 admissions among 12,494 individuals
2010: 15,729 people entered rehab for alcohol and drug addiction (Males 72%, Females 28%)

Demographics of Treatment Admissions (2014)

By Gender

Males: 66.2% (8,275 persons)
Females: 33.8% (4,219 persons)

By Age

12-17: 1.6% (201 persons)
18-20: 7.2% (903 persons)
21-24: 15.9% (1,987 persons)
25-34: 32.8% (4,095 persons)
35-44: 20.1% (2,514 persons)
45-54: 15.5% (1,934 persons)
55-64: 6.1% (764 persons)
65+: 0.7% (93 persons)

By Race/Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic White: 74.6% (9,318 persons)
Hispanic: 9.2% (1,148 persons)
Non-Hispanic Black: 8.5% (1,066 persons)
Non-Hispanic Native American/Native Hawaiian: 3.7% (451 persons)
Non-Hispanic Asian: 0.7% (93 persons)
Non-Hispanic Multi-Racial: 0.5% (60 persons)

By Urban/Rural Residence

Large Urban: 60.3% (7,422 persons)
Small Urban: 27.8% (3,424 persons)
Rural: 11.9% (1,465 persons)

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Methadone (Single-Day Count, March 2019)

Patients receiving methadone in opioid treatment programs: 645 people (increased from 619 in 2015)

Buprenorphine (Single-Day Count, March 2019)

Patients receiving buprenorphine: 492 people (increased from 52 in 2015)

Nebraska has 137 active substance abuse clinics serving thousands annually. However, a significant treatment gap exists, with three-quarters of those needing treatment not receiving it.

Treatment Costs

Service Type	Average Individual Cost	Total Public Spending	U.S. Percentage
Residential (non-hospital)	$58,777 per person	$51.9 million	1.0% of U.S. total
Outpatient	$1,855 per person	$9.24 million	0.4% of U.S. total

Rankings

Nebraska ranks 40th for cost of residential drug abuse treatment (non-hospital)
Nebraska is among the top 10 most expensive states for outpatient drug rehabilitation services

Federal Treatment Funding

Nebraska received approximately $63 per person from SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (2010-2022)
National average: $93 per person
Lowest per capita rate in the country
Potential additional funding if at national average: $50 million

Nebraska Federal Treatment Funding Statistics

Nebraska ranks as one of the more expensive states for drug rehabilitation services, particularly for outpatient care, despite having lower than average overdose rates.

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Examinations (2014)

Total persons examined: 671
Completed toxicology tests: 550 (82% completion rate)
Persons examined (2012): 595

Substances Detected (2014, Percentage of Completed Tests)

Substance	Number	Percentage
Marijuana	314	52.2%
Depressants	164	27.2%
Stimulants	100	16.6%
Narcotics	73	12.1%
Other drugs	20	3.3%

Trends (2012-2014)

Marijuana: 54.4% (2012) to 52.2% (2014) – Stable
Stimulants: 23.3% (2012) to 16.6% (2014) – Decreased
Narcotics and Depressants: Remained stable
Other drugs: Stable at 3-4%

The number of suspected drug-impaired drivers examined has increased slightly from 2012 to 2014.

Criminal Justice Impact

Drug-Related Arrests (2013)

Total drug possession/sales arrests: 8,369
Adult arrests (18+): 7,012 (83.8%)
Juvenile arrests (under 18): 1,357 (16.2%)
Percentage of all adult arrests: 11.3%
Percentage of all juvenile arrests: 12.9%

Nebraska Drug Related Arrests Statistics

Incarceration for Drug-Related Crime

Overall Incarceration

Drug offense inmates (2014): 714 individuals
Drug offense inmates (2012): 637 individuals
Annual cost to maintain drug offense inmates: approximately $20 million

Drug-related offenses place substantial strain on Nebraska’s criminal justice system.

Nebraska’s drug statistics reveal a state with lower-than-average overdose death rates but significant underreporting concerns. The opioid crisis, while less severe than nationally, continues to impact the state with synthetic opioids increasingly involved. The state faces challenges including inadequate federal funding for treatment, and a substantial treatment gap where three-quarters of those needing help do not receive it. While youth drug use rates remain below national averages, substance use disorders affect approximately 16% of the population aged 12 and older, demonstrating the ongoing need for comprehensive prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

Statistical Data on Alcohol in Nebraska

Nebraska faces significant challenges related to alcohol consumption and its consequences. The state consistently ranks above the national average in several key alcohol-related metrics, particularly in binge drinking rates among adults and young adults. This comprehensive statistical overview examines alcohol consumption patterns, health consequences, mortality rates, economic impacts, and demographic variations across Nebraska’s population. The data reveals a complex public health issue that affects Nebraskans across all age groups, with particularly high rates among young adults aged 18-25 and significant gender disparities in drinking patterns and consequences.

Overall Alcohol-Related Deaths and Burden

Total Annual Deaths: An average of 720 deaths in Nebraska are attributable to excessive alcohol use annually, making it the 7th most common cause of death in the state (2010 data showed 542 deaths).
Per Capita Death Rate: Nebraska averages one death from excessive alcohol use for every 2,724 people aged 18 and older, or 4.87 deaths for every 10,000 adults.
Years of Potential Life Lost: 17,435 years of potential life is lost to excessive alcohol use each year in Nebraska.

Nebraska Alcohol Overdose Deaths Statistics

Percentage of Deaths by Age

85.4% of deaths from excessive alcohol use are adults aged 35 years and older
3.06% of people who die from excessive alcohol use are under the age of 21

Deaths by Gender

68.2% of people who die from excessive alcohol use in Nebraska are male
31.8% are female

Deaths by Cause Type

66.1% of excessive alcohol use deaths are from chronic causes, such as Alcohol Use Disorder
33.9% are from acute causes

Five-Year Trend: The 5-year average annual rate of excessive alcohol deaths per capita in Nebraska increased by as much as 52.1% from 2015 to 2019.

This dramatic increase of over 50% in just five years represents a critical escalation in the alcohol-related mortality crisis.

Alcohol-Related Mortality by Specific Causes

Chronic Liver Disease (2013)

Deaths: 181 deaths
Age-Adjusted Rate: 8.9 per 100,000
National Comparison: Nebraska’s rate (8.9) was lower than national rate (10.2).

Trend (2008-2013)

2008: 7.1 rate (134 deaths)
2013: 8.9 rate (181 deaths)
Trend: Increasing

By Race/Ethnicity

Native Americans: 57.5%
Hispanics: 12.4%
Whites: 7.2%

The dramatic disparities by race indicate targeted interventions are needed for Native American and Hispanic populations.

Mortality Trends 2021-2022

Percentage Change in Age-Adjusted Death Rate (2021 to 2022)

Cause	Nebraska	U.S.
Combined alcohol, drug, and suicide	-5%	-1%
Alcohol-induced	+3%	-6%
Suicide	+4%	+1%

While the U.S. saw a decrease in alcohol-induced mortality, Nebraska experienced an increase.

Adult Alcohol Consumption Patterns

Binge Drinking

Current Rates (2014): 20.3% of Nebraska adults (287,000 adults) reported binge drinking in the past 30 days.
National Comparison: Nebraska’s rate (20.3%) was significantly higher than the national average (16.0%).

Binge Drinking Frequency Among Adults (2022-2023)

Median binge frequency: 1.7 times monthly
Among the 25% most active drinkers: 3.9 times per month
25% of adults who binge drink do so four times per month

Nebraska Alcohol Adult Binge Drinking Statistics

Drinks Per Binge

Median drinks per binge: 5.6
Among the 25% most active drinkers: 8.0 drinks per binge

Nebraska’s binge drinking rate exceeds the national average by 4.3 percentage points, placing the state among the worst performers nationally.

Demographic Variations in Binge Drinking

By Age

18-24 years: Highest risk group
25-34 years: 34.6% (highest rate)
35-44 years: 25.5%
85 and older: 0.6% (lowest rate)

By Gender

Males: 27.8%
Females: 15.1%

Males are nearly twice as likely to binge drink as females.

Heavy Alcohol Use

Current Rate (2014): 6.4% of Nebraska adults (91,000 adults) reported heavy drinking in the past 30 days.
National Comparison: Nebraska’s rate (6.4%) was similar to the national rate (5.9%), though Nebraska had significantly higher rates in 2011 and 2012.

Nebraska Alcohol Adult Heavy Use Statistics

Demographic Variations in Heavy Drinking

By Age

18-24 years: 9.9%
35-44 years: 7.0%
85 and older: 1.7%

By Gender

Males: 8.1%
Females: 5.9%

By Race/Ethnicity (2011-2014, Age-Adjusted)

Multiracial: 9.2%
Hispanic: 4.3%
Asian: 3.8%
Other race: 3.6%

The percentage of Nebraska adults reporting heavy alcohol use showed a decline from 2011 to 2014.

Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

Before Pregnancy (2011): 64.7% of pregnant women reported drinking alcohol during the three months before pregnancy.
During Pregnancy (2011): 6.0% of pregnant women continued to drink alcohol during the last three months of pregnancy.

Nebraska Alcohol Use During Pregnancy Statistics

This exceptionally high rate ranked Nebraska fifth among 25 states participating in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey, n.

Young Adult Alcohol Consumption (Ages 19-25)

Current Alcohol Use

By Age Group

23-25 years: 78.0%
21-22 years: 75.7%
19-20 years: 47.9%

By Gender

Males: 67.9%
Females: 68.4%

While men and women drink at similar rates, consumption patterns differ.

Binge Drinking Among Young Adults

Overall Rate (2013): 44.9% of young adults (84,000 individuals) reported binge drinking in the past month.
Among Past-Month Drinkers: 66.3% reported binge drinking (2 in 3 young adults who drink).
Frequent Binge Drinking: 33.0% (62,000 young adults) reported binge drinking more than once per month.
National Comparison (2017-2019): Nebraska’s rate of 41.8% was higher than the national average of 35.4%.

Drinks Per Episode

18-24 years: 8.1 drinks average
25-34 years: 8.3 drinks average
Overall average: 7.2 drinks

Demographic Variations

By Age

21-22 years: 51.7%
23-25 years: 49.0%
19-20 years: 33.3%

By Gender

Males: 45.9%
Females: 43.9%
Binge drinking more than once per month: Males 35.7%, Females 30.2%

Young adults show the highest binge drinking rates of any age group in Nebraska, with nearly half engaging in this risky behavior

Youth Alcohol Consumption (Grades 9-12)

Binge Drinking Among Youth (2013)

Rate: 13.6% of high school students (14,000 youth) reported binge drinking in the past 30 days.
National Comparison: Nebraska (13.6%) was lower than national rate (20.8%).
Trend: Slight decline from 16.4% (2011) to 13.6% (2013), but not statistically significant.

Nebraska Alcohol Youth Binge Drinking Statistics

Recent Data by Grade (2023)

Grade	Male	Female
9th	3.4%	3.8%
10th	3.7%	1.8%
11th	6.4%	4.0%
12th	3.1%	7.2%

Recent Data for Ages 19-22 (2022):

Age Group	Male	Female
19-20 years	16.8%	13.7%
21-22 years	37.7%	35.6%

Youth binge drinking rates show significant improvement compared to national averages.

Heavy Drinking Among Youth (2013)

Rate: 3.8% of high school students (4,000 youth) reported heavy drinking (10+ drinks in a row) in the past 30 days.
National Comparison: Nebraska (3.8%) was slightly but not significantly lower than national rate (6.1%).

By Grade

9th grade: 0.9%
12th grade: 5.3% (five times higher)

By Gender

Males: 5.4% (significantly higher)
Females: 2.0%

This is the only youth alcohol metric showing significant gender disparity, with males consuming at much higher quantities.

Alcohol Dependence and Treatment

Alcohol Use Disorder (2021-2023)

Rate (Ages 12+): 11.5% had alcohol use disorder in the past year
National Comparison: Similar to census division average (11.3%) and national average (10.4%)

Earlier Data (2022-2023, Ages 12+)

Ages 12+: 185,000 people (11.33%)
Ages 12-17: 5,000 (2.82%)
Ages 18-25: 36,000 (16.46%)
Ages 26+: 145,000 (11.57%)

Need for Treatment (2012-2013)

Rate: 7.6% (116,000 Nebraskans ages 12+) needed treatment for alcohol but did not receive any
National Comparison: Higher than national rate (6.4%), but difference was non-significant
Trend: Both Nebraska and U.S. saw decreases, though Nebraska’s was steeper, followed by an increase starting in 2012.

Treatment Admissions (2014)

Total Substance Abuse Admissions: 13,537 admissions (12,494 individuals)
Alcohol as Primary Drug: 62.1% of adult admissions
Alcohol in Top Three Drugs: 77.4% of all admissions
Trend: Alcohol remained primary drug from 2011 (69.7%) to 2014 (62.1%), though slightly decreased

By Gender

Males reporting alcohol as primary: 67.8%
Females reporting alcohol as primary: 50.6%
Males reporting alcohol in top three: 81.6%
Females reporting alcohol in top three: 68.8%

Historical Context (2006-2010)

2010: 9,729 entered treatment for alcohol only
2010: 2,580 entered for alcohol combined with secondary drug
Trend: Both categories increasing since 2006

Alcohol remains the overwhelmingly dominant substance in Nebraska treatment admissions.

Alcohol Consumption and Sales

Alcohol Sales Trend

2000: 22,288 gallons per 10,000 population (ages 14+)
2010: 23,136 gallons per 10,000 population
National average (2010): 22,608 gallons per 10,000 population

Nebraska’s per capita alcohol sales are 2.3% higher than the national average and have increased 3.8% since 2000.

Economic Costs

Total Annual Cost (2010): $1.167 billion
Adjusted for Inflation (2022): $1.575 billion
Cost Per Drink: $2.17 (in 2022 US dollars)
Government Burden (2010): $491 million (approximately 42% of total costs)
Binge Drinking Contribution: 75% of total costs attributable to binge drinking
Underage Drinking Cost (2013): $324.5 million, including: medical care, work loss, pain and suffering
Cost Per Youth: $1,779 for each youth in the state

Nebraska Alcohol Economic Costs Statistics

The economic burden of alcohol abuse in Nebraska is substantial, with taxpayers bearing a significant portion.

The data reveals that alcohol abuse in Nebraska represents a multifaceted public health crisis affecting all demographics, with particularly severe impacts on young adults, males, and certain racial/ethnic groups. While youth consumption shows improvement, adult binge drinking rates remain persistently high and above national averages. The 52.1% increase in alcohol-related deaths from 2015 to 2019 indicates an escalating emergency requiring comprehensive intervention strategies targeting prevention, treatment access, and enforcement.

Conclusion

In general, Nebraska faces a dual substance abuse crisis that demands urgent attention. While the state reports lower drug overdose rates than the national average, alcohol-related deaths increased by 52.1% from 2015 to 2019, with binge drinking rates ranking among the worst nationally. The treatment gap is substantial—three-quarters of those needing substance abuse treatment do not receive it, despite the combined economic burden exceeding $1.5 billion annually. Young adults aged 18-25 emerge as the highest-risk population across nearly all metrics, with particularly concerning rates of binge drinking (44.9%), and substance use disorders (26.14%), underscoring the critical need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies for this demographic.