South Carolina Drug and Alcohol Addiction Statistics
The most concerning drug in South Carolina is crack cocaine, use of which is particularly concentrated in the middle of the state. Methamphetamine use is on the rise in South Carolina. Most of the meth in the state comes from Mexico, but a portion is made locally in small home laboratories. Heroin use is concentrated in major population centers such as Charleston. Tourism around the beach areas of South Carolina and Charleston brings club drugs such as MDMA (Ecstasy), which is potentially fatal.
Marijuana is the most common drug in South Carolina, most of which comes from Mexico, but small amounts are grown in indoor or outdoor personal growing operations. Marijuana is illegal in South Carolina for both medicinal and recreational use.
South Carolina has lower than average rates of residents who use alcohol regularly (at least one drink per 30 days) at 48%, which is a rate of 56% nationwide. Only 5.6% of South Carolina residents count as heavy drinkers (an average of two or more drinks per day), compared with 6.8% nationally.
On the other hand, adolescent drinking rates are higher when compared with the rest of the country. Around 24% of high school students in South Carolina had their first drink before age 13, compared with 20% nationally. Rates of high school drinking are only slightly higher than the rest of the country.
South Carolina does not have rates of behavioral disorders that vary significantly from countrywide averages, including eating disorders.