Drug & Alcohol Addiction Statistics in Los Angeles, CA

Drug and alcohol abuse in Los Angeles remains a serious public health issue, with thousands of residents struggling each year. According to recent reports, Los Angeles County sees some of the highest rates of substance use disorders in California, particularly involving alcohol, methamphetamine, and opioids. The region also faces rising concerns about fentanyl-related overdoses, which have significantly increased in recent years. With such alarming statistics, the need for accessible drug and alcohol rehab centers in Los Angeles is greater than ever, offering critical treatment and recovery options for individuals and families affected by addiction.

Substance Use Statistics in Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles County has seen rising substance-related harms including overdose deaths, hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and poison control calls.
Among the unhoused population in Los Angeles County, drug and alcohol overdose is now the leading cause of mortality.
In California (which includes Los Angeles), there were 53,555 emergency department visits related to nonfatal drug overdoses in 2023, and 19,242 non-fatal drug overdose hospitalizations.
Across the U.S., emergency department visits for opioid overdoses rose 30 percent during mid-2016 to late-2017.
In 2024, among persons aged 12 or older nationwide, 58.3 percent reported “current use” of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs in the past month; 16.8 percent had a past-year substance use disorder, and drug use disorders increased from 8.7 percent in 2021 to 9.8 percent in 2024.
California’s overall drug-related overdose death rate in 2023 was below the national average of 31 per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

Substance Use & Statistics by Substance in Los Angeles:

69.8% of residents aged 12 and older have used alcohol at least once in their lifetime.
39.2% reported having consumed alcohol in the past 30 days.
Each year, approximately 2,100 deaths in Los Angeles County are attributed to alcohol-related causes.
Starting in Fiscal Year 2018–19 (July to June), methamphetamine surpassed heroin to become the most commonly reported drug problem among admissions to publicly funded substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs. It remained the top drug issue through FY 2022–23.
Prescription medications, including opioid pain relievers, stimulants, and sedatives, are the second most frequently abused drug category in Los Angeles County and the United States (after illicit drugs overall).
From 2013 to 2019, LA County saw methamphetamine-related deaths rise sharply, from 696 in 2013 to 1,126 in 2019, reflecting a concerning upward trajectory.
Prescription (Rx) medications, including pain relievers, stimulants, and sedatives, rank as the second most frequently abused category, following illicit drugs as a group.

Statistics About Rehab & Treatment in Los Angeles

The county’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) system annually serves approximately 275,000 individuals across prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services.
In 2022, an estimated 1,482,612 residents aged 12 and older likely needed SUD treatment based on a 17.3 % prevalence rate, yet only a fraction of these individuals received services.
Only about 0.8 % of adults and 0.5 % of adolescents with a substance use disorder are accessing treatment services, leaving over 94 % of adults and 97 % of adolescents untreated.
There are 5,895 state-licensed residential treatment and detoxification beds in Los Angeles County.
A total of 277 state-certified, non-residential treatment programs operate countywide, representing outpatient, intensive outpatient, and other non-residential levels of care.

Sources

https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/prevention/PP/FY21-22-SAPC-Annual-Prevention-Providers-Report-Reduced-032623.pdf
https://www.chhs.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AB-988-Chart-Book-Final-ADA-Compliant.pdf
https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/Documents/2025-SNAP-Report.pdf
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/Los%20Angeles%20DEA%20360%20Report.pdf
https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/20250728/samhsa-releases-annual-national-survey-on-drug-use-and-health
https://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/MDU/SpecialReport/Alcohol-Use-and-Public-Perceptions-in-Los-Angeles-County.pdf