Cocaine Statistics

HHRC-Cocaine

Table of Contents

1 out of 4 Americans between the age of 26 and 34 have used cocaine in their lifetime.

According to the Minnesota Institute for Public Health and drug prevention resource center, 5,000 adults in the United States try cocaine for the first time each day. (1985)

Today it is estimated that 22 to 25 million people have tried cocaine at least once. Conservative estimates indicate that there are over two million cocaine addicts in the United States today.

Contrary to earlier belief high dose use of cocaine can be detected as long as 10 to 22 days after last use.

Near half of all drug related emergency room visits are due to cocaine abuse.

The annual number of new cocaine users has generally increased over time. In 1975 there were 30,000 new users. The number increased from 300,000 in 1986 to 361,000 in 2000.

Rates of cocaine use by college students over the previous 5 years has varied between 2.0% of all students in 1994 to 4.8% in 2000.

Of high school seniors in 2001, 8.2% reported having ever used cocaine.

From 1997 to 2000 cocaine was the most common drug reported in emergency room episodes.

Cocaine use among men is almost twice then women. Based upon additional data sources, the office of National Drug Control Policy estimates the number of chronic cocaine users at 3.6 million.

Adults 18 to 25 years of age currently have the highest percentage of cocaine use than any other age group.

90% of cocaine users smoked, drank, or used marijuana before trying cocaine.

In 1988, about 300,000 infants were born addicted to cocaine.