The types of drugs that most people use to get high and become addicted to have not changed dramatically in recent years. The substances that people are abusing include alcohol, marijuana, prescription stimulants, heroin, fentanyl, prescription pain killers, benzodiazepines, club drugs/ hallucinogens (ecstasy, molly, Ketamine, LSD, PCP, mushrooms), and inhalants. 
Why Do People Abuse Drugs?
The opioid epidemic has brought awareness of heroin, Fentanyl, and prescription pain killers to the forefront where they should be. Still, the new statistics do not imply that they are the most abused drugs. The reason someone uses drugs is to change how they feel, because of peer pressure to fit in, or abuse of drugs can happen due to medical conditions. At the heart of why people use drugs is whether they get addicted or not. Many people can use cocaine, alcohol, or other substances casually and not get addicted. Addiction is a disease that affects the mind and emotions. People who are predisposed to addiction have histories of emotional, physical, and sexual trauma or abuse. Another factor that causes one person to get addicted while someone else doesn’t is an undiagnosed mental health illness. Additionally, people who come from families that abuse substances are also more likely to do the same. However, there is no definite genetic likelihood, and many people can have addicted parents and not become addicts.
What Drugs Are Most People Using Today?
The United Nations has provided global statistics on the most used drugs. Their data has found that marijuana is by far the most abused drug. They also reference which countries have the highest use, which is North America.
Cannabis remains by far the most commonly used drug. Worldwide, there were an estimated 200 million past year users of cannabis in 2019, corresponding to 4.0 percent of the global population aged 15–64. The annual prevalence of the use of cannabis remains highest in North America (14.5 percent), the subregion of Australia and New Zealand (12.1 percent), and West and Central Africa (9.4 percent). (UN 2021)
What Other Drugs Are a Problem?
The other drugs that take center stage are opioids. The trend of Fentanyl laced street drugs has devastating effects. Recently, the United States made history in record numbers of accidental overdoses, most of which were related to Fentanyl. Millions of dollars for treatment and naloxone access are now being prioritized by the U.S. government. Other drugs that are concerning include alcohol, prescription stimulants, and benzodiazepines. Polydrug use is also worse than ever, as most people combine many drugs and alcohol together more than they used to.
250 people die every day due to drug use. In 2019— nearly half of drug overdose deaths involved multiple drugs. (CDC)
What Treatment Methods Have the Most Success for Recovery?
Addicts each have an individual set of circumstances that make them susceptible to becoming addicted to a substance. Therefore, the first necessary treatment type must be personalized to the individual’s needs. The second is evidence-based types of treatment. Behavioral therapies and pharmacotherapies (medications) are proven to help a person get clean and sober. Evidence-based forms of behavioral therapy include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and one-on-one counseling. Medication-assisted treatment, MAT, is the pharmacotherapy type that is also vital to helping a person enter long-term recovery.
Evoke Wellness Offers Personalized Treatment
Evoke Wellness provides advanced addiction and alcoholism treatment methods that rely on science to help people let go of their desire to use drugs and alcohol. We provide expert treatment and therapy for the following substances and each person’s treatment is tailored to their needs:
- Marijuana
- Heroin
- Fentanyl
- Prescription Stimulants
- Prescription Pain Killers
- Alcohol
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
- Club Drugs
- Inhalants
Call now for same-day admission to our center and chat or email for more information.
