From January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2019, US poison control centers managed 54,199 cases involving
methamphetamine as the first-ranked substance. Adults 20-39 years old accounted for more than half (56.3%) of cases. There were 1,291 deaths, of which 43.0% involved multiple-substance exposures. Among multiple-substance exposures in which
methamphetamine was the first-ranked substance, stimulants and
street drugs (excluding
methamphetamine) were most commonly also present (22.7%), followed by
opioids (19.0%). The substance class associated with the most fatalities was
opioids (n = 243, 26.6%). The rate of
methamphetamine exposures per 100,000 US population increased from 0.6 to 1.1 from 2000-2005, then decreased from 1.1 to 0.4 from 2005-2007, followed by an increase from 0.4 to 2.6 from 2007-2019. From 2007-2019, the rate significantly increased in all US regions, and among all age groups, except among 6-12-year-olds. Also, the rates of single-substance and multiple-substance exposures each increased significantly (both p < 0.0001) from 2007-2019, as did the overall
methamphetamine fatality rate per 100,000 US population (0.0036 to 0.022, p < 0.0001). From 2000-2019, the proportions of cases resulting in admission to a health care facility and serious medical outcome increased from 30.2% to 47.8% (p < 0.0001) and from 37.6% to 54.0% (p < 0.0001), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The rate of exposure to
methamphetamine in the US declined initially following passage of the Combat
Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. However, since 2007, the rate and severity of exposures to
methamphetamine have increased, primarily driven by individuals 20 years or older. Increased prevention efforts are needed, including prevention of
methamphetamine initiation among adolescents and young adults, improved access to effective treatment for co-occurring mental health and
substance use disorders, and prevention of unintentional exposures among children.