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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Methamphetamine is one of the primary culprits contributing to overdose deaths in the U.S. involving stimulants other than cocaine.
Data gathered by World Population Review from 2021 shows California has the highest number of meth users in the country, with 418,000 people.
Texas is next in line with 197,000 meth users in the state. Tennessee, Florida, and New York round out the top five states.
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Newsweek has created this map to show the U.S. states with the highest number of adult meth users.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 36,251 people died from overdosing on psychostimulants in 2023. This is a slight increase compared to the previous year, which saw 35,550 deaths in 2022.
Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are the leading cause of drug deaths, as an estimated 74,702 people died in 2023 from overdose.
Bryce Pardo, researcher at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, told Newsweek that meth is "cheaper and purer" and easily available.
"In terms of demand, methamphetamine use has been increasing in recent years in the US, spreading from "traditional" areas in the western parts of the U.S. to more "non-traditional" areas in the east. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but drivers include increasing availability and lower prices of the drug.
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"A few decades ago, most of the meth consumed in the U.S. came from domestic producers utilizing more straightforward synthesis routes but at much smaller scales, often using ephedrines from cold medications.
"Transnational drug trafficking organizations have improved manufacturing methods to drive down purity-adjusted prices through increased specialization via industrial-scale manufacturing.
"Drug traffickers have also figured out how to improve on synthesis so they can produce more potent products. The methamphetamine sold today is cheaper, purer, and more potent—and in these terms, more dangerous—than ever before.
Catherine Strawn, a spokesperson for the CDC, told Newsweek: "Overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, and there are a variety of promising prevention strategies that can help prevent overdose and support the health and well-being of communities across the country.
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There is a substantial flow of drugs entering the country from Mexico as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have seized 123,573 pounds of meth at the southern border. Furthermore, California and Texas, two border states have the highest number of users, which suggests there is a link between the flow of drugs and states with the most users.
Meth is a highly addictive and powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It was developed in the early 20th century from its parent drug, amphetamine and used in decongestants and bronchial inhalers.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classified it as a Schedule II stimulant, making it only available through a non-refillable prescription. It can be prescribed to help manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and as a short-term weight loss aid. Because of the drug's high potential for misuse, it is rarely prescribed for these treatments and is prescribed in very low doses.
Consuming meth risks inflicting long-term healthy effects on users. Meth use increases the risk of HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other infectious diseases.
It can cause extreme weight loss, addiction, and severe dental problems, anxiety, changes in brain structure and function; memory loss; sleeping problems; paranoia; violent behavior; and hallucinations.
In 2021, 32,537 people died from an overdose involving psychostimulants, according to CDC data.
CBP officers seized nearly 549,000 pounds of illicit substances across the country in 2022-2023. The second most common seizure by officers was methamphetamine, with 140,000 pounds of the drugs seized in the U.S. by law enforcement.
In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, CBP officials have seized 135,769 pounds of meth nationwide, as of June 2024.
Approximately 2.5 million people aged 12 and older reported using methamphetamine in the U.S., according to a study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
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