Stimulant Overdose

Psychostimulants

Psychostimulants with abuse potential are a subset of stimulants that have a higher likelihood of being misused due to their effects on the central nervous system. Psychostimulants with abuse potential include both illegal drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy, as well as prescription stimulants.

Approximately 34,000 people died from a drug overdose involving psychostimulants with abuse potential in 2022, accounting for nearly 32% of all drug overdose deaths that year.1 From 2004-2019, psychostimulant-involved overdose death rates were consistently highest for American Indian and Alaska Native people compared to other racial and ethnic groups.2

All psychostimulants are stimulants, but not all stimulants are psychostimulants.

• Prescription stimulants, drugs used to treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression, can also be misused but do not tend to cause overdose. Approximately 3.9 million people aged 12 or older misused prescription stimulants in 2023.3
• Cocaine is also a stimulant drug; however, estimates of cocaine use and the number of deaths involving cocaine are usually calculated separately from other psychostimulants with abuse potential.

Cocaine

In 2023, 5 million Americans aged 12 or older reported using cocaine in the past year.3

Cocaine-involved overdose death rates in the United States decreased from 2006 to 2010 but have since increased.1 Non-Hispanic Black people experienced the highest death rate for overdoses involving cocaine in 2019.2 From 2021 to 2022, the number of overdose deaths involving cocaine increased by nearly 13%, with about 28,000 Americans dying in 2022 from an overdose involving cocaine.1

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant.4 It is also categorized as a psychostimulant. Methamphetamine is commonly referred to as meth, ice, speed, and crystal, among many other terms. In addition to risking becoming addicted to methamphetamine, people who use methamphetamine long-term may experience a range of negative health outcomes, including damage to the heart and brain, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior.5 In recent years, methamphetamine-involved overdoses have been increasing in the United States across many demographic groups.2 In 2023, 2.6 million Americans aged 12 or older reported using methamphetamine.3

Methamphetamine accounts for the majority of deaths involving psychostimulants of abuse potential.6 In 2022, approximately 34,000 drug overdose deaths involved psychostimulants with abuse potential, a nearly 5% increase from the previous year.3

Adults with limited income, those on Medicaid, people who are uninsured, those with lower education status, males, middle-aged adults, and people who live in rural areas are at increased risk for methamphetamine use.7 These data show the importance of recovery support services, such as vocational training and placement, and linkage to social service providers.

Treatment for stimulant use disorders

For information on treatment, see SAMHSA's Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders, or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Learn more about stimulant use:

• Know the Risks of Meth (SAMHSA)
• Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment for People With Stimulant Use Disorders: Counselor's Treatment Manual
• Methamphetamine | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Drug Facts: Methamphetamine | NIDA
• Patterns and Characteristics of Methamphetamine Use Among Adults — United States, 2015–2018
• About Cocaine (NIDA)
• Research Report Series: Cocaine (NIDA)

The Stimulant Guide

It is important that community service providers and members of the public have access to information about stimulants to increase awareness of the risks stimulants may pose, how to identify a stimulant overdose, and what resources exist to provide further support or education.

Our Stimulant Guide will answer some common questions about stimulants, stimulant use, stimulant overdose, and stimulant overdose prevention strategies developed by harm reduction experts.

Stimulant Guide