Substance Abuse Trends in Houston, Texas

Certain cities in Texas are known as High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs), including San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. Many drugs come into the United States through the Port of Houston. In 2025, the #1 drug threat in Houston was Fentanyl (Synthetic Opioids), followed by Methamphetamine and Cocaine.

• Approximately 490,000 people aged 12 or older used an illicit drug in the past year.
• Around 369,000 individuals aged 12 or older were estimated to have a substance use disorder within the same period.
• Roughly 25.1% of persons aged 12 or older reported binge drinking at least once in the past month.

• Substance-involved deaths rose from 673 in 2018 to 1,177 in 2022, marking a 74.9% increase.
• Preliminary 2024 data indicates 942 accidental drug/alcohol-involved deaths, down from 1,096 in 2023 — a 14.1% decline.
• Cocaine-involved deaths: 423 in 2024 (down from 450 in 2023).
• Methamphetamine-involved deaths: 321 in 2024 (down from 388 in 2023).
• Heroin-involved deaths: last reported as 236 in 2021.
• Synthetic opioids (fentanyl): rose from 28 in 2016 to 581 in 2022, then dropped to 572 in 2023, and further to 403 in 2024.
• Youth overdose deaths (ages 15–19) rose by 370%, including a 544% increase specifically in that group between 2018 and 2022.

• Approximately 35,000 individuals aged 12 and older were admitted to publicly funded substance use treatment programs in Texas in a single-day count (2021); admissions in Harris‑Region Gulf Coast context remain a proportionate subset.
• Approximately 19–20% of admissions statewide were for marijuana, while 17–18% involved alcohol, and runaround 11–13% for methamphetamine, cocaine, and opioids.
• Around 23% of admissions cited marijuana or alcohol as the primary substance of abuse.
• The primary substances of abuse in treatment in the Texas Gulf Coast region are:
  • Marijuana – ~19–23%
  • Alcohol – ~17–18%
  • Methamphetamine – ~10–13%
  • Cocaine / Crack – ~11%
  • Heroin – ~11%
  • Other Opiates – ~8%
  • Prescription Opioids (e.g. Vicodin) – part of other opiate category (~8%)
  • Amphetamine/Xanax – each less than 3–4% of admissions

Understanding current substance abuse trends is an important first step, but recovery requires professional support. At Briarwood Detox Center, we provide medically supervised outpatient detox services throughout Houston, Texas, designed to meet you where you are in your recovery journey.

• Our Houston outpatient detox programs offer flexible, evidence-based treatment that fits your schedule
• Learn about our Houston facility and the comprehensive withdrawal management services we provide
• Expert withdrawal management ensures safety and comfort during the detox process

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse in Houston, help is available. Call us today at (512) 960-4061 to speak with our admissions team and learn how our outpatient detox services can support your path to lasting recovery.