In 2023, it was estimated that over 42 million people in the United States had used cocaine at some point in their life. The number of people in the United States who stated they had used cocaine in the past month has fluctuated over the past decade, but over two million people reported they had used cocaine in the past month as of 2023. Cocaine use among teens The percentage of U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 that had used cocaine in their lifetime has gradually decreased since 1999. At that time, around 7.2 percent of students stated they had used cocaine in their lifetime, while in 2021 just 1.4 percent of students said so. Perhaps unsurprisingly, perceived availability of cocaine among 12th graders has also decreased over the past couple decades, with about 17 percent of 12th graders stating cocaine was “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get in 2021, compared to almost 55 percent who reported it was easy to get in 1990. The most common illicit drugs U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 reported having used in their lifetime were marijuana, inhalants, and hallucinogens such as LSD and mushrooms. Deaths from cocaine In 2020, there were 19,447 drug poisoning deaths involving cocaine in the United States. The number of overdose deaths involving cocaine has increased significantly over the past few years as part of the ongoing opioid epidemic. Although, it is possible to die of an overdose just from using cocaine, many overdose deaths in the U.S. that involved cocaine also involved the use of opioids. The rate of overdose deaths involving cocaine is almost three times higher among men than women, but both have seen increases in the rate of overdose death in recent years. Considering race and ethnicity, the rate of overdose deaths involving cocaine is by far highest among black, non-Hispanics and lowest among Asian/Pacific Islander, non-Hispanics.

According to the latest estimates there were around 22 million cocaine users worldwide with the highest number found in the Americas. Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant and is an addictive stimulant that is usually snorted as a powder. Although it is illegal in most countries it is still commonly used recreationally.

Cocaine worldwide

It is estimated that up to .5 percent of the global population has used cocaine in the past year. With so many users it is unsurprising that the illegal cocaine market is extremely lucrative. Worldwide illicit cultivation of cocaine covers some 234 thousand hectares, with most of the world’s cocaine produced in South America.

Cocaine in the United States

According to the most recent figures around 4.77 million people in the United States had used cocaine in the previous year. Moreover, around 40.9 million Americans have used cocaine at some point in their lifetime. In 2021, there were around 24,486 deaths involving cocaine in the United States, a significant rise from previous years. However, it is important to note that a large portion of deaths from cocaine involve the use of other drugs, specifically opioids.

Current marijuana use among U.S. adults in 2022 was highest in Vermont, where around 34.37 percent of adults reported using marijuana within the past year. In recent years, a number of U.S. states, including Colorado and California, have legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use. In 2022, around 132 million people in the United States reported that they had used marijuana at least once in their lifetime.

Consumer behavior Starting around 2013, the majority of U.S. adults now say they are in favor of legalizing marijuana in the United States. The share of adults who were in favor of legalization has continued to increase over the years. As of 2021, about 68 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 and older were in favor of legalization. Legal sales of marijuana reached 16.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and are expected to increase to around 37 billion dollars by the year 2026.

COVID-19 impact on marijuana use The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns led to fears of an increase in substance abuse in many parts of the world. In March 2020, around 40 percent of millennials who used cannabis in the past year reported that they planned to increase their marijuana use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This rise in usage was reflected in sales early in the pandemic. In California for example, sales of marijuana on March 16, 2020 increased 159 percent compared to the same day in 2019.