Epidemiology

Nearly 36 million people annually are estimated to consume amfetamines around the world, and amfetamines are the second most widely misused drug type after cannabis.[10]

The use of amfetamines continues to increase in North America, Australia, the Russian Federation, Eastern Europe, China, and Southeast Asia. Many of the countries in which use is growing are emerging economies with large numbers of users <30 years old. They constitute new markets for sellers, particularly for MDMA (ecstasy)-related preparations.[10][11]

In the United States in 2019, 2.0 million people (aged ≥12 years) had used methamfetamines in the past year, representing 0.7% of the population ages 12 or older.[12]

In the UK, survey data suggest that, in 2016, MDMA was the second most commonly used stimulant, with a reported use of 1.3% among all ages and 4.3% among people aged 16-24 years.[13]

Drug overdose deaths in the US involving a psychostimulant (e.g., methamfetamine, MDMA, dexamfetamine, levoamfetamine) increased 37% between 2017 and 2018, accounting for 15% of all drug overdose deaths in 2018.[14] In the UK, deaths related to amfetamines have increased since 2000; MDMA accounted for most of these deaths in 2016.[13]

UK data from household surveys in 2019 show MDMA to be the second most commonly used stimulant.[15] The number of deaths involving MDMA registered in 2018 across the UK was the highest on record.[15]

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