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

Statistical Data on Drugs in Oregon

Oregon faces significant challenges with substance use disorders and ranks among the highest states for drug use across multiple categories. The state has seen a concerning upward trend in drug use and overdose deaths, particularly with opioids and methamphetamine, while simultaneously struggling with treatment accessibility issues.

Overdose Statistics

Recent Trends

2023: Over 1,800 drug overdose deaths
2019: 626 overdose deaths
2023: 11,125 emergency room visits due to drug overdoses
2023: Nearly 1,400 opioid overdose deaths

Oregon Drug Overdose Statistics

Overdose deaths have shown a dramatic increase since 2019, with opioids being responsible for the majority of fatalities.

Death Rate Comparisons (per 100,000 population)

Year	Oregon Rate	National Rate
2009	15.1	12.8
2011	13.5	13.2
2021	26.8	32.4

Regional Comparison (Deaths per 100,000)

State	Opioid Death Rate
Oregon	18.7
Washington	14.5
Idaho	12.1
National Avg	15.0

Oregon’s opioid death rate exceeds both neighboring states and the national average, indicating a particularly severe opioid crisis in the state.

Opioid-Specific Statistics

2021: 779 opioid overdose deaths (67% of all drug overdose deaths)
Weekly prescription opioid overdose deaths: 3
Prescription opioids involved in 44.5% of opioid overdose deaths
Heroin involved in 45.4% of deaths
Synthetic opioids were involved in 28.6% of deaths

Fentanyl Impact

Year	Fentanyl Deaths
2019	75
2020	298
2022	90% of opioid fatalities

Overdose deaths show a concerning upward trend, with opioids and especially fentanyl playing a major role in fatalities.

Comparative Death Statistics (2007)

Cause of Death	Number
Drug Use	564
Motor Vehicle	490
Firearms	387

Drug-related deaths have consistently exceeded other common causes of mortality, with a dramatic increase in recent years.

General Drug Use Statistics

Overall Drug Use Rates (2020-2022)

Past-month illicit drug use: 24.03% of population aged 12+
Past-year marijuana use: 31.22% of population aged 12+
Past-month marijuana use: 21.84% of population aged 12+
Illicit drug use other than marijuana: 4.41% of population aged 12+

Oregon’s drug use rates significantly exceed national averages, with particularly high rates of marijuana use. The state ranks among the top in the nation for several drug use categories.

Historical Trend of Past-Month Illicit Drug Use

Year	Oregon Rate	National Average
2001	7.50%	5.90%
2010	9.20%	7.80%
2020	12.63%	8.82%

The data shows a consistent upward trend in illicit drug use in Oregon, with the gap between state and national averages widening over time.

Marijuana Use Trends (2017-2019)

Population Group	Oregon Rate	National Average
Youth (12-17)	10.4%	6.8%
Young Adults (18-25)	49.4%	35.0%
Overall Population	27.7%	16.2%

Oregon’s marijuana use rates significantly exceed national averages across all age groups.

Regional Rankings

Highest state for illicit drug use disorder (9.04%)
Second highest for past-month marijuana use (19.26%)
First for methamphetamine use (1.93%)
Seventh for cocaine use (2.37%)
First for prescription opioid misuse (4.46%)

Oregon consistently ranks at or near the top for multiple substance use categories, indicating a widespread and severe substance use problem across the state.

Detailed Drug Use Statistics (2021-2022)

Population Numbers (in Thousands) by Substance

Substance/Category	Total (12+)	Youth (12-17)	Young Adults (18-25)	Adults (26+)
Past Month Illicit Drugs	880	29	160	691
Past Year Marijuana	1,144	43	212	889
Past Month Marijuana	800	27	146	627
Past Year Cocaine	74	0	20	54
Past Year Hallucinogens	206	8	60	138
Past Year Methamphetamine	43	0	2	41
Past Year Pain Reliever Misuse	140	6	18	116
Past Year Opioid Misuse	134	6	19	109

Adult population represents the largest number of users across all substances.

General Population Statistics (12+ years)

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Statistics 2021-2022

Overall SUD rate: 21.85%
Drug use disorder: 11.58%
Pain reliever use disorder: 1.55%
Opioid use disorder: 1.84%

These rates indicate that over one-fifth of Oregon’s population struggles with substance use disorders, significantly higher than national averages.

Teen Substance Use Comparisons

11.46% of teens (34,000) used drugs in past month
94.12% of teen users report marijuana use
18.54% used marijuana in past year

Other substance use among teens:

Cocaine: 0.67%
Methamphetamines: 0.34%
Heroin: 0.17%
Pain relievers misuse: 3.03%

Oregon teens are 37.62% more likely to use drugs than the national average, with marijuana being the predominant substance.

Youth Drug Use

Substance Use Rates

Substance use disorder: 12.52%
Drug use disorder: 9.24%
Pain reliever use disorder: 0.94%
Opioid use disorder: 0.94%

Current Statistics

Illicit drug use (past month): 9.46%
Marijuana use (past year): 13.96%
Marijuana use (past month): 8.93%
Cocaine use (past year): 0.14%
Prescription pain reliever misuse (past year): 1.87%

Youth drug use in Oregon remains a significant concern, with rates consistently higher than national averages. Marijuana is the most commonly used substance among youth.

Young Adult Statistics (Ages 18-25)

Detailed Substance Use Rates

Substance use disorder: 35.69%
Drug use disorder: 25.05%
Pain reliever use disorder: 1.28%
Opioid use disorder: 1.34%
Past-year marijuana use: 51.12%
Past-month marijuana use: 35.24%
Past-month illicit drug use: 38.61%
Cocaine use (past year): 4.90%
Hallucinogen use (past year): 14.51%

Young adults show the highest rates of substance use disorders among all age groups, with particularly high rates of marijuana and illicit drug use.

Adult Statistics (26+)

Usage Rates

Past-month illicit drug use: 23.49%
Past-year marijuana use: 30.20%
Past-month marijuana use: 21.29%
Cocaine use (past year): 1.82%
Hallucinogen use (past year): 4.69%
Methamphetamine use (past year): 1.39%

Adult usage rates remain high across multiple substances, particularly for marijuana use.

Substance Use Risk Analysis (2021-2022)

Risk Perception by Age (Percentages)

Risk Category	Overall	12-17	18-25	26+
Monthly Marijuana	14.26%	12.33%	7.63%	15.41%
Monthly Cocaine	56.23%	46.30%	50.43%	58.09%
Trying Heroin	78.19%	53.43%	74.52%	81.24%

Risk perception increases with age for most substances, with heroin perceived as most dangerous.

Treatment Statistics

Medication-Assisted Treatment (2019)

Methadone treatment: 5,146 people
Buprenorphine treatment: 1,976 people
Increase in buprenorphine treatment since 2015: from 601 to 1,976 people

Treatment Facilities

Active substance abuse clinics: 265
Annual clients treated: 20,268
Free treatment facilities: 1

Historical Facility Count

Year	Number of Facilities
2002	232
2006	224
Current	265

Treatment modalities (2019)

Outpatient services: 19,520 clients annually
Residential services: 705 clients
Hospital-based: 43 clients

Treatment Access by Age Group (2022)

Age Group	Received Treatment	Needed Treatment	Treatment Gap
12+	5.25%	23.54%	79.09%
12-17	4.77%	13.52%	*
18-25	6.38%	39.46%	83.05%
26+	5.13%	22.28%	79.16%

Oregon ranks last nationwide in treatment accessibility, with a significant gap between those needing and receiving treatment. Cost remains a major barrier to accessing care.

Most Commonly Abused Substances (Treatment Admissions Data)

Primary Substances

Marijuana: 8,014 treatment admissions (40.9% were ages 12-17)
Amphetamines: 6,558 admissions (highest among ages 26-30)
Heroin: 4,218 admissions (62.3% male, 37.7% female)
Prescription drugs: 2,408 admissions for opiates (excluding heroin)

Marijuana leads treatment admissions, particularly among youth, while amphetamine and heroin use show concerning rates among adults.

Economic Impact and Costs

Treatment Costs

Outpatient services: $33.26 million (1.44% of U.S. total)
Residential treatment: $41.52 million (0.8% of U.S. total)
Average individual outpatient cost: $1,704
Average individual residential cost: $58,894

Oregon Treatment Costs

Healthcare Impact

Hepatitis C cases from IV drug use: 48,700
HIV/AIDS cases from IV drug use: 6,879
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal syndrome: 0.62% of hospital births

The economic burden of substance use disorders in Oregon is substantial, with high individual treatment costs potentially creating barriers to access.

Prescription Statistics

Doctors write prescriptions for 57.3% of residents
54% of all prescriptions were for opioids

The high rate of opioid prescriptions may contribute to the state’s significant opioid abuse problems.

Oregon’s drug crisis has reached critical levels, with overdose deaths tripling to over 1,800 in 2023 and the state ranking first nationally for illicit drug use disorder at 9.04%. With an overall substance use disorder rate of 21.85% but only 20% of those needing treatment receiving it, Oregon faces an urgent public health emergency requiring immediate intervention.

Statistical Data on Alcohol in Oregon

Oregon faces significant challenges with alcohol use, ranking among the top states for consumption and related disorders. As the third leading cause of preventable death in the state, alcohol abuse presents a major public health concern with substantial economic and social impacts.

Mortality and Health Impact

Death Statistics

Annual alcohol-related deaths: 2,186
Deaths under age 21: 2.0% (43 deaths)
Male deaths: 68.1%
Deaths aged 35+: 89.3%
Daily deaths (2022): 6 (40% increase from 2019)
Years of potential life lost annually: 50,830
Years of potential life lost (under 21): 2,396

Oregon Alcohol Overdose Statistics

Alcohol-related deaths predominantly affect older adult males, with a concerning recent increase in daily fatalities.

Binge Drinking Patterns

Adults who binge drink: 17.0%
Median drinks per binge: 5.5
Top 25% drinkers median drinks: 7.4
Median binge episodes monthly: 1.7
Top 25% monthly episodes: 4.1

While the median binge drinking frequency is moderate, the most active drinkers show significantly higher consumption patterns.

General Population Statistics (2021-2022)

Total Population Numbers (in thousands)

Category	12+ years	12-17	18-25	26+	18+
Alcohol Use Past Month	1,981	26	229	1,726	1,955
Binge Alcohol Use	818	12	136	670	807
Risk Perception*	1,485	113	141	1,231	1,373

*People perceiving great risk from having 5+ drinks once or twice per week

Percentage Breakdown

Category	12+ years	12-17	18-25	26+	18+
Alcohol Use Past Month	54.05%	8.50%	55.25%	58.63%	58.22%
Binge Alcohol Use	22.33%	3.78%	32.93%	22.77%	24.03%
Risk Perception	40.54%	36.86%	34.11%	41.83%	40.87%
Alcohol Use Disorder	12.23%	4.37%	17.64%	12.29%	12.95%

The data shows a clear age-related pattern in alcohol use and risk perception, with young adults (18-25) showing particularly high rates of use and lower risk perception compared to other age groups.

Underage Drinking Details (Ages 12-20)

Current Usage (2022)

Metric	Number	Percentage
Total Past-Month Use	96,000	21.1%
Total Binge Use	58,000	12.8%

Age-Specific Breakdown

Age Group	Past-Month Use	Binge Use
12-14	5,000 (3.5%)	3,000 (2.6%)
15-17	29,000 (18%)	14,000 (8.4%)
18-20	62,000 (38.8%)	41,000 (25.8%)

Additional Youth Statistics

Average initiation age: 15.7 years
Fatal crashes (15-20 year drivers with BAC > 0.01%): 22 (29% of all fatal crashes)

The data reveals a clear progression in alcohol use through adolescence, with significant jumps in both use and binge drinking rates as teens approach legal drinking age.

Geographic and Regional Patterns

County-Level Statistics

Counties with excessive drinking rates below 20%: 9 out of 36
Lowest rate: Marion County (17%)
Overall state excessive drinking rate: 16.7% (Ranks 25th nationally)
Adult excessive drinking rate: 20%

Regional Comparisons (2017-2019)

Young Adults (18-25):

Oregon binge drinking: 38.9%
Regional average: 33.4%
National average: 35.4%

Adults (21+):

Past-Month Use: 63.4%
Past-Month Binge Use: 24.4%

The geographic data shows that excessive drinking is a widespread issue across Oregon, with most counties showing rates above 20%, indicating a pervasive public health challenge throughout the state.

State Rankings and Trends

Alcohol Use (Past Month): 10th in U.S.
Alcohol Use Disorder: 5th in U.S.
Per capita consumption: 15th highest in U.S.
Annual consumption: 2.8 gallons per person (587 drinks/person)

Alcohol Use Disorder Rates

Age Group	Rate
12+ years	12.23%
12-17 years	4.37%
18-25 years	17.64%
26+ years	12.29%

Oregon consistently ranks high in alcohol use and related disorders, with young adults showing the highest disorder rates.

Economic Impact and Industry

Costs

Annual cost to taxpayers (2022): $4.752 billion (2010 cost: $3.520 billion; inflation-adjusted increase: $1.232 billion)
Cost per drink (2022): $2.81
Cost per person: $1,100

Industry Marketing

National advertising spending: $3.5 billion
Retail environment advertising: 29% of total

The economic burden of alcohol use in Oregon shows significant growth over time, with substantial costs to both the state and individual taxpayers.

Risk Perception

Percentage perceiving great risk from having 5+ drinks once/twice weekly:

Overall (12+): 40.54%
Youth (12-17): 36.86%
Young Adults (18-25): 34.11%
Adults (26+): 41.83%

Risk perception is notably lower among young adults, which may contribute to higher rates of dangerous drinking behaviors in this age group.

Treatment Statistics (2010)

Primary alcohol treatment: 14,729 people
Combined alcohol/drug treatment: 10,189 people
Total treatment cases: 24,918

A significant number of individuals seek treatment for alcohol use, often in combination with other substances.

Oregon’s alcohol crisis has reached critical levels, with six daily deaths in 2022 (40% increase from 2019) and 54% of adults reporting past-month use. With young adults showing alarming rates of disorders (17.64%) and binge drinking (32.93%), and an annual economic impact of $4.752 billion, the state faces an urgent public health emergency requiring immediate intervention.

In general, Oregon faces a devastating dual crisis of drug and alcohol abuse. Drug overdose deaths have tripled to over 1,800 in 2023, while alcohol claims six lives daily (a 40% increase since 2019). The state ranks first nationally for illicit drug use disorder (9.04%) and fifth for alcohol use disorder, with over half of adults reporting past-month alcohol use. Young adults show particularly alarming rates, with 35.69% experiencing substance use disorders and 32.93% engaging in binge drinking. With combined economic impacts exceeding $4.752 billion annually and a severe treatment gap where 80% of those needing help don’t receive it, Oregon faces an unprecedented public health emergency requiring immediate, comprehensive intervention.