Methamphetamine Abuse Rises

According to a new SAMHSA report, admissions to treatment for methamphetamine abuse increased significantly between 1993 and 2003, moving across the country from West to East.

States in the Midwest and South that had few admissions due to methamphetamine/ amphetamine abuse in 1993 are now experiencing higher rates of admissions.

These findings are part of a report released by SAMHSA from continued analysis of the 2003 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).

The report, Trends in Methamphetamine/Amphetamine Admissions to Treatment: 1993-2003, combines the two substances of abuse because 3 of the 52 states and jurisdictions in TEDS do not distinguish between the powerful amphetamine, methamphetamine, and all other amphetamines. However, for the majority of states that do distinguish between the substances, 86 percent of primary methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions in 2003 were for methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions increased nationally from 1993 to 2003, from 13 to 56 admissions per 100,000 population ages 12 and older. A total of 18 states experienced methamphetamine/amphetamine treatment rates higher than the national average in 2003.

The climb in admissions to treatment for methamphetamine/ amphetamine as the primary substance of abuse rose from 28,000 admissions in 1993 (nearly 2 percent of 1.6 million admissions nationally) to almost 136,000 admissions in 2003 (over 7 percent of the total 1.8 million admissions).

TEDS collects data on the approximately 1.8 million annual admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities, primarily those that receive some public funding. The new report is available on the SAMHSA Web site at www.oas.samhsa.gov/2K6/methTx/methTx.cfm.

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