Report: Almost 10 Percent of Americans Say They Used Illicit Drugs in 2013

A new government report finds 9.4 percent of Americans ages 12 and older said they used illicit drugs in 2013. Almost 20 million said they used marijuana, according to HealthDay.

The report comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which found 4.5 million Americans said they had taken prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons in the past month. In addition, 1.5 million people said they used cocaine, 595,000 used methamphetamine and 289,000 used heroin. The data is based on an analysis of the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the article notes.

While almost 23 million Americans needed treatment for drug or alcohol use, only 2.5 million received treatment at a specialized facility, the report found. Almost 44 million American adults ages 18 and older had a mental illness last year, and 10 million said they had a serious mental illness. About 14 percent said they received treatment or counseling for their mental illness in the past year.

The report was released in conjunction with the 25th annual observance of National Recovery Month, according to a SAMHSA news release.

“This Administration’s approach to drug policy is rooted in the knowledge that substance use disorders are diseases that can be prevented, treated, and from which people can recover,” said Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “The recovery movement has come a long way in 25 years, and people in recovery deserve an official voice at all levels of government. We must continue to use that voice to share our triumphs and our challenges, and show the world that millions of us are leading happy, healthy, productive lives in long-term recovery. Each recovery story we tell chips away at the misconceptions that keep someone struggling with an addictive disorder from asking for help.”