Drug Use Statistics in New York
New York has a population of 19,867,248 people. The most recent data from the 2023-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that approximately 2,997,000 people over the age of 12 had used illegal substances in the past month, around 15.09% of the population. 2,708,000 reported marijuana use in the past month and 3,930,000 in the past year.
The report also found that 376,000 New York residents had used cocaine in the past year, 101,000 had used meth, and 387,000 had misused prescription pain medication. 36,000 people over the age of 18 reported using heroin in the last year. Those reporting opioid misuse, including heroin, painkillers, and fentanyl in New York totaled 391,000 people.
Alcohol Use in New York
Alcohol misuse was also reported in New York with 8,116,000 people over the age of 12 saying they had used alcohol in the last month and 3,325,000 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 8,263,000 people.
Overdose Deaths in NY
In the 12 months ending December 2025, New York recorded 1808 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 York at 9.1 per 100,000 people. The most recent available figure for alcohol-induced deaths, which covers 2021, was 1901 or 9.6 per 100,000 people.
Addiction Treatment Statistics in New York
The NSDUH report also recorded the total number of substance use disorders in New York and those who currently require treatment. The report found that approximately 2,927,000 were recorded as having a substance use disorder (SUD) and 1,630,000 had an alcohol use disorder. 306,000 people were recorded as having an OUD, including those with painkiller, heroin, and other opioid-based drug use disorders.
The NSDUH report also measures the gap between the people who need SUD treatment and those who actually receive it. It found that 3,169,000 people in New York were classified as needing treatment in the past year, 591,000 received treatment for an SUD, and 2,541,000 did not receive the treatment they were classified as needing.
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