Epidemiology

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

The use of amphetamines 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 younger than 30 years. 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 methamphetamines in the past year, representing 0.7% of the population ages 12 or older.[12] 

Drug overdose deaths in the US involving a psychostimulant (e.g., methamphetamine, MDMA, dextroamphetamine, levoamphetamine) increased 37% between 2017 and 2018, accounting for 15% of all drug overdose deaths in 2018.[13]

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