Minnesota Addiction Statistics
Marijuana is the most frequently used drug in Minnesota. Use is more concentrated around the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, but the drug is common throughout the state. Minnesota has some of the highest rates of youth marijuana use and lowest age of first use in the country. Marijuana has been decriminalized in Minnesota and is legal for medicinal use only.
Prescription drug abuse is also a significant problem, with 2.4% of Minnesotans reporting prescription drug abuse in the past year. Heroin use has also spiked in recent years, though prevalence is not as high as prescription opiate use.
Methamphetamine and cocaine are not used at significant rates in Minnesota.
Around 66% of Minnesotan adults drink alcohol at least once per month – the fourth highest rate in the country – while 19% report binge drinking at least five alcoholic beverages on one occasion. Minnesota has the third highest rates of alcohol abuse and dependence in the country at 9.24% of residents age 12 or over. They are also in the top ten states with the highest rates of alcohol poisoning deaths.
Around 3.4% of Minnesotans have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, which is slightly higher than the national average. Around two-and-a-half times as many women have been diagnosed as men. Minnesota has a significantly higher rate of problem gambling than the rest of the country, with 3.6% of residents displaying some form of problem gambling or gambling addiction compared with around 2% nationally.