Statistical Data on Drugs in New Jersey
New Jersey faces significant challenges with substance abuse and addiction, with patterns varying across counties and substances. The data shows trends in drug use, overdose deaths, treatment admissions, and demographic patterns from recent years through 2024, highlighting both areas of progress and ongoing concerns.
Drug Overdose Deaths (2022-2024)
- 2022: 2,892 total deaths
- 2023: 2,564 deaths (16% decrease from 2022)
- 2024 (Jan-Nov): 1,666 deaths
The data shows a consistent downward trend in overdose deaths over these years, suggesting potentially improved intervention and prevention efforts.
Drug-Related Deaths by Substance (2021)
Most affected counties for specific substances:
- Fentanyl: Essex (378), Camden (249)
- Heroin: Essex (77), Bergen (59)
- Cocaine: Essex (185), Camden (147)
- Benzodiazepine: Middlesex (64), Camden (60)
Historical Overdose Trends (Bergen County Example)
| Year | Overdoses | Narcan Deployments | Narcan Saves | Fatalities |
| 2022 | 690 | 376 | 257 | 125 |
| 2021 | 730 | 368 | 255 | 176 |
| 2020 | 664 | 325 | 233 | 147 |
| 2019 | 657 | 388 | 274 | 138 |
| 2018 | 583 | 352 | 255 | 142 |
Top 5 Counties with Highest Overdose Deaths (2023)
- Essex: 447
- Camden: 326
- Hudson: 186
- Ocean: 168
- Middlesex: 145
Urban counties consistently show higher overdose rates, with Essex and Camden maintaining the highest numbers across multiple years.
Youth Substance Use Trends (Ages 12-17)
- 7.71% report using drugs in the last month
- 86.54% of youth drug users report marijuana use
- 0.30% report cocaine use
- 0.15% report methamphetamine use
- 0.07% report heroin use
- 1.93% report pain reliever misuse
Marijuana dominates youth drug use, while harder drugs show relatively low usage rates among teenagers.
Young Adult Statistics (Ages 18-25)
- Marijuana use: 34.6% (302,000 individuals)
- Marijuana use disorder: 6.0% (52,000 individuals)
- Opioid use disorder: 0.5% (4,000 individuals)
- Illicit drug use disorder: 6.9% (60,000 individuals)
Naloxone Administrations (Jan-Nov 2024)
Total: 10,454
Top 5 Counties
- Essex: 2,209
- Camden: 1,332
- Hudson: 929
- Atlantic: 595
- Middlesex: 571
The high number of Naloxone administrations correlates with counties that have higher overdose rates.
Opioid Prescriptions (Jan-Nov 2024)
Total: 2,759,785
Top 5 Counties
- Camden: 250,447
- Ocean: 249,260
- Bergen: 224,351
- Monmouth: 219,800
- Middlesex: 213,445
The prescription data shows high opioid availability across populous counties, potentially contributing to substance abuse issues.
Substance Use Treatment Admissions (2022)
Total Admissions: 85,266
Primary Substances
- Heroin: 30,933 (36%)
- Other Opiates: 6,553 (8%)
- Marijuana/Synthetic Cannabinoids: 5,610 (7%)
- Cocaine/Crack: 5,005 (6%)
- Methamphetamines: 2,098 (2%)
Heroin accounts for nearly three-quarters of all treatment admissions, indicating this substance remains the primary challenge for addiction treatment in New Jersey.
Treatment Facilities
- Total active substance abuse facilities: 397
- Annual patient capacity: 38,326
- Outpatient services: 35,454 patients annually
- Residential services: 2,367 patients annually
- Hospital-based services: 505 patients
- Free treatment facilities: 13
Treatment Costs and Accessibility
- Average outpatient treatment cost: $1,701 per individual
- Average residential treatment cost: $56,570 per individual
- Free treatment facilities: 13 statewide
The treatment infrastructure shows a heavy reliance on outpatient services, with limited capacity for residential treatment options.
Treatment Referral Sources
- Self-referral: 53%
- Corrections programs: 18%
- Addiction service organizations: 10%
Treatment Demographics (2022)
- Gender: 69% male, 31% female
- Living Status: 74% living independently
- Employment: 21% unemployed
- Mental Health: 58% (49,635) had co-occurring mental illness
The data shows a significant gender disparity in treatment-seeking, with males representing over two-thirds of admissions. The high rate of co-occurring mental illness suggests the importance of integrated treatment approaches.
County-Specific Highlights
Essex County
- Highest treatment admission rate: 87 per 10,000 residents
- Leading cause: Heroin and opioids (≈50% of admissions)
- Highest opioid-related death rate: 84.4 per 100,000 residents
Camden County
- 354 overdose fatalities (2022)
- Notable increase: 6% from previous year
- High fentanyl presence: 285 overdose cases
Bergen County Impact
- Fentanyl-related deaths increased from 34% to 80% (2016-2020)
- Age group most affected: 25-44 years (>50% of cases)
- Benzodiazepines contributed to 24% of drug-related deaths
New Jersey's substance abuse and addiction landscape shows significant complexity across different demographics, substances, and regions from 2021-2024. While there's an encouraging downward trend in overall overdose deaths (16% decrease from 2022 to 2023), the concentration of drug-related incidents in urban counties like Essex and Camden, coupled with the high rate of heroin treatment admissions (36%), indicates persistent geographic and substance-specific challenges. The significant presence of co-occurring mental illness (58% of treatment cases) and the substantial gap between treatment capacity (38,326 annually) and need, combined with high treatment costs (up to $56,570 for residential care), suggests a critical need for expanded, integrated treatment approaches and more accessible care options.
Statistical Data on Alcohol in New Jersey
New Jersey demonstrates unique patterns in alcohol consumption and related issues compared to national averages. The state has the second-lowest number of alcohol-related deaths per capita in the United States (with Utah being the lowest), yet faces significant challenges with alcohol abuse, particularly in certain counties and age groups.
Deaths and Health Impact
- Annual alcohol-related deaths: 3,008
- Deaths under age 21: 2.23%
- Male deaths: 34.0%
- Deaths from chronic causes: 54.8%
- Deaths among adults 35+ years: 82.6%
- Years of potential life lost annually: 79,359
Despite having relatively lower death rates compared to other states, the chronic nature of alcohol-related deaths (54.8%) suggests long-term abuse issues rather than acute incidents.
Trend Analysis
- 5-year death rate increase (2015-2019): 42.8%
- Alcohol disorder rate (2017-2019): 4.2% (lower than the national average of 5.3%)
New Jersey demonstrates lower overall rates compared to national averages, however, the significant increase in death rates over five years indicates a worsening situation that requires attention.
Drinking Patterns
Youth Statistics
- High school students drinking (past 30 days, 2021): 23%
- Female high school students: 27%
- Male high school students: 19%
- Youth aged 12-17 past month use: 7.7%
The gender disparity in youth drinking is notable, with females showing higher rates of alcohol consumption.
Adult Consumption
- Adults who binge drink monthly: 14.4%
- Median drinks per binge: 5.2
- Top 25% of drinkers median drinks per binge: 7.3
- Top 25% binge frequency: 3.5 times per month
- Chronic heavy drinking rate: 5.1%
While the overall binge drinking rate is below national averages, there's a concerning pattern among the heaviest drinkers.
County-Level Heavy Drinking Rates (2018-2021)
| County | Binge Drinking Rate | Heavy Drinking Rate |
| Sussex | 23.6% | 10.2% |
| Cape May | 21.8% | 9.2% |
| Atlantic | 13.6% | 7.8% |
| Union | 15.1% | 7.8% |
| Essex | 15.8% | 4.8% |
| Bergen | 13.6% | 3.9% |
| Middlesex | 12.6% | 2.9% |
| Passaic | 13.7% | 2.6% |
| State Average | 14.7% | 5.1% |
There's significant geographic variation in heavy drinking rates, with rural counties showing higher percentages.
Economic Impact
- Cost to taxpayers (2010): $6.175 billion
- Adjusted cost (2022): $8.337 billion
- Cost per drink (2022): $2.30
The significant increase in economic burden when adjusted for inflation demonstrates the growing financial impact of alcohol abuse on the state.
Alcohol-Related Crime (2013)
- Overall arrest rate: 442 per 100,000 residents
- Larceny: 291 per 100,000
- DUI: 282 per 100,000
- Other assaults: 261 per 100,000
The close rates between DUI and larceny arrests suggest alcohol's significant role in both violent and non-violent crimes.
Treatment Statistics
- Total treatment admissions (2022): 31,807
- Percentage of all substance abuse admissions: 37%
Gender Distribution in Treatment
- Male: 69.4%
- Female: 30.6%
Age Group Analysis (Treatment Demographics)
- Ages 25-49: 17.7%
- Ages 50+: 9.5%
- Ages 12-24: 2.2%
The middle-aged group (25-49) shows the highest treatment admission rates, suggesting this age range may be most vulnerable to alcohol abuse issues.
New Jersey presents a complex picture of alcohol use and abuse, with lower overall rates compared to national averages but significant regional variations and concerning trends. The 42.8% increase in death rates from 2015-2019, despite the state having the second-lowest per capita death rate, suggests that alcohol abuse remains a critical public health challenge. The stark contrast between counties, with Sussex showing rates nearly four times higher than Passaic, indicates that targeted, region-specific interventions may be more effective than one-size-fits-all approaches.
In conclusion, New Jersey's substance abuse landscape presents a complex interplay between drug and alcohol challenges, with distinct patterns across different regions and demographics. While drug overdose deaths show an encouraging 16% decrease from 2022 to 2023, alcohol-related deaths increased by 42.8% from 2015-2019, suggesting divergent trends in substance abuse that require tailored intervention approaches. The high treatment costs (up to $56,570 for residential care), limited capacity (38,326 annually), and significant rate of co-occurring mental illness (58%) point to critical gaps in the state's substance abuse treatment infrastructure.
Sources:
- Drug Abuse Statistics
- New Jersey Addiction Research 2024: Abuse Facts, Overdose Rates, and Rehabilitation Statistics - Better Life Recovery
- Drug Related Deaths (2021) | NJ.gov
- NJ Cares Suspected Overdose Deaths - New Jersey Office of Attorney General
- New Jersey Drug Abuse Statistics (2024): Death, Crime & Addiction Rates
- New Jersey Addiction Statistics - Rubicon Recovery Center
- Behavioral Health Barometer: New Jersey, Volume 6
- Substance Abuse Statistics for New Jersey | Alina Lodge: Drug & Alcohol Rehab NJ
- Explore Alcohol Use - Youth in New Jersey | AHR