Drug Use in Louisiana
Louisiana has a population of 4,597,740 people. The most recent data from the 2023-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 665,000 people over the age of 12 had abused illegal substances in the past month, around 14.46% of the population. 603,000 reported marijuana use in the past month and 849,000 in the past year.
The report also found that 52,000 Louisiana residents had abused cocaine in the past year, 49,000 had abused meth, and 169,000 had abused prescription pain medication. 7,000 people over the age of 18 reported using heroin in the last year. Those reporting opioid misuse, including heroin, painkillers, and fentanyl, in Louisiana totaled 174,000 people.
Alcohol Use in Louisiana
Alcohol misuse was also reported in Louisiana, with 1,724,000 people over the age of 12 saying they had used alcohol in the last month and 887,000 reporting binge drinking. The perceived risk of people over 12 years of age indulging in problematic alcohol use (5 or more drinks twice a week) in a month was 1,768,000 people.
Overdose Deaths in Louisiana
In the 12 months ending December 2025, Louisiana recorded 1207 drug overdose deaths. This is CDC's provisional count and covers overdoses of all intents, including accidental, suicide, homicide and undetermined. That puts the overdose death rate in Louisiana at 26.3 per 100,000 people. The most recent available figure for alcohol-induced deaths, which covers 2021, was 514 or 11.1 per 100,000 people.
Substance Use Treatment in Louisiana
The NSDUH report also recorded the total number of substance abuse disorders in Louisiana and those who currently require treatment. The report found that 664,000 were recorded as having a substance use disorder (SUD) and 386,000 had an alcohol use disorder. 95,000 people were recorded as having an opioid use disorder, including those with painkiller, heroin, and other opioid-based use disorders.
The NSDUH report also measures the gap between the people who need substance use treatment and those who actually receive it. It found that 727,000 people in Louisiana were classified as needing substance use treatment in the past year, 179,000 received substance use treatment, and 574,000 did not receive the treatment they were classified as needing.
Government assistance for rehab treatment in Louisiana
The Office of Behavioral Health under the Louisiana Department of Health offers treatment and recovery programs and services to individuals dealing with drug addiction, alcohol, or gambling. They also offer support to the families and friends of those battling addiction.
Some treatment programs include withdrawal management, Opiate treatment programs, residential care, and recovery homes. Their services are family-centered and evidence-based to be effective in the long run.
You can reach out to them via Healthy Louisiana at 1-855-229-6848.
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- 2023-2024 NSDUH: Model-Based Estimated Totals for States (in Thousands). (2026, February 4). Samhsagov. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-2024-nsduh-estimated-totals-state
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- CDC NCHS, Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts (2026). Cdc.Gov. https://data.cdc.gov/d/xkb8-kh2a