Drug Use Statistics in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has a population of 1,409,032 people. The most recent data from the 2023-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 239,000 people over the age of 12 had used illegal substances in the past month, around 16.96% of the population. 220,000 reported marijuana use in the past month and 330,000 in the past year.
The report also found that 24,000 New Hampshire residents had used cocaine in the past year, 9,000 had used meth, and 31,000 had misused prescription pain medication. 3,000 people over the age of 18 reported using heroin in the last year. Those reporting opioid misuse, including heroin, painkillers, and fentanyl, in New Hampshire totaled 31,000 people.
Alcohol Use in New Hampshire
Alcohol misuse was also reported in New Hampshire with 713,000 people over the age of 12 saying they had used alcohol in the last month and 262,000 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 499,000 people.
Overdose Deaths in New Hampshire
In the 12 months ending December 2025, New Hampshire recorded 269 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 New Hampshire at 19.1 per 100,000 people. The most recent available figure for alcohol-induced deaths, which covers 2021, was 264 or 19 per 100,000 people.
Addiction Treatment Statistics in New Hampshire
The NSDUH report also recorded the total number of substance abuse disorders in New Hampshire and those who currently require treatment. The report found that 223,000 were recorded as having a substance use disorder (SUD) and 125,000 had an alcohol use disorder. 26,000 people were recorded as having an opioid use disorder, including those with painkiller, heroin, and other opioid-based drug 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 230,000 people in New Hampshire were classified as needing substance use treatment in the past year, 41,000 received substance use treatment, and 185,000 did not receive the treatment they were classified as needing.
Government Assistance for Addiction Treatment in New Hampshire
Addiction struggle is a daily reality for many people living in New Hampshire.
The Doorway program, a new program by the New Hampshire government, is changing how people deal with substance use disorders in the area. It provides a complete assessment, coordinated referral for treatment, and other services to anyone dealing with an addiction in the state.
The Doorway program offers various resources like the NH alcohol and drug treatment locator, medication safety tips, and information useful to individuals battling drug abuse and their families.
You can reach the Doorway program at 2-1-1 to access some of their trusted community hospitals.
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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
- Index of /programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2024/state/totals. (2020). Census.Gov. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2024/state/totals/
- CDC NCHS, Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts (2026). Cdc.Gov. https://data.cdc.gov/d/xkb8-kh2a