This report reflects significant trends, data, and major issues relating to drugs in the State of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania At-a-Glance: Approximately 7.99 percent of Pennsylvania residents reported past-month use of illicit drugs; the national average was 8.82 percent. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2009-2010. In 2009, the rate of drug-induced deaths in Pennsylvania was higher than the national average. Heroin is the most commonly cited drug among primary drug treatment admissions in Pennsylvania. In 2010, almost one-third of drug treatment admissions in Pennsylvania was for heroin.

Drug Use in Pennsylvania: The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides national and state-level data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs (including non-medical use of prescription drugs), and mental health in the United States. In the most recent Survey, 7.99 percent of Pennsylvania residents reported using illicit drugs in the past month. The national average was 8.82 percent. Additionally, 3.21 percent of Pennsylvania residents reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana in the past month (the national average was 3.6 percent). Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2008–2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Drug-Induced Deaths: As a direct consequence of drug use, 1,983 persons died in Pennsylvania in 2009. This is compared to the number of persons in Pennsylvania who died from motor vehicle accidents (1,378) and firearms (1,349) in the same year. Pennsylvania drug-induced deaths (15.7 per 100,000 population) exceeded the national rate (12.8 per 100,000). Pennsylvania is ranked 8th in the country for overdose deaths. Heroin and prescription medications are what appears to be the leading cause of the drastic rise in mortality rates among addicts. Pennsylvania addiction statistics and national trends are provided to help understand the scope and consequences that addiction can have if left unchecked. Marijuana use throughout the state listed in percentages of the population of Pennsylvania statistics provided BY SAMHSA. 6.98% of the population in the age group 12 -17 has reportedly used marijuana last month and 7.80% of the population over 18 has been reported by SAMHSA to have used marijuana in the past month. Cocaine use in Pennsylvania for the fiscal year 2015 for age groups between 12-17 years old is at 0.59% and for those over the age of 18 is at 1.72% and that is a need for concern for Pennsylvania residents. Heroin use in Pennsylvania for the age group 12-17 is estimated to be 0.15% of the population for that age group and it is estimated 0.41% of the populous over 18 in Pennsylvania has used heroin. Alcohol use in Pennsylvania statistics have been gathered for the fiscal year 2015 by SAMHSA are an estimate and within a 95% confidence rate for the survey. It is estimated that 11.34% of the age group 12-17 has used alcohol in the past month and 60.82% for those over 18 in the state. Pennsylvania residents that have had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year reported by SAMHSA details only those over the age of 18 with 4.10% of the population having had a serious thought of suicide.

Sources
Pennsylvania Drug Stats
SAMHSA
Brief Interventions
Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions in Substance Use
National Academy of Medicine
Recovery Support
Erik Epp – Content Author