Texas Drug and Alcohol Addiction Statistics
Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug used in Texas. In the past, most marijuana in Texas was grown locally, but due to recent drought conditions, marijuana cannot be grown outdoors in large quantities very easily, however hydroponic grow operations are increasing in popularity. Despite its popularity, marijuana is the third most common illicit drug that patients at rehabilitation centers seek treatment for. Marijuana use is illegal in Texas.
Cocaine and heroin use in the state are down from past levels, but prescription abuse continues to rise among young people. Prescription opiates such as pain killers and codeine cough syrup are the most common medications that are abused.
Methamphetamine use in Texas decreased dramatically after the nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine was restricted to behind-the-counter sales and small quantities. However, meth manufacturing has since bounced back due to the practices of “smurfing”, where one person buys small quantities of pseudoephedrine at many stores. Consequently, meth sales have nearly returned to the levels from before pseudoephedrine restriction.
Alcohol use in Texas is lower than national averages with only around 52% of adults reporting regular alcohol use (at least one drink per 30 days), compared with 58% nationally. Binge drinking among adults is also slightly lower than countrywide rates at 16%.
However, drinking among minors is slightly elevated. Around 23% of Texans have their drink before age 13 (compared with 20% for the rest of the country), and 40% of Texan high school students have had at least one drink in the past month.
Approximately 3.5% of Texans have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, which is slightly higher than national averages. Over twice as many women are diagnosed with eating disorders as men in Texas.
Texas does not have rates of other behavioral disorders that vary significantly from national averages.