More than 168 million individuals aged 12 or older were estimated to have used tobacco, nicotine vaping, alcohol, or an illicit drug.

Millions of Americans are suffering from substance use disorders and mental health issues related to alcoholism and drug usage, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“In 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3 percent) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year,” said the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report published on Nov. 13. This includes 29.5 million people with an alcohol use disorder; 27.2 million with a drug use disorder; and 8 million individuals with both. Individuals undergoing SUD use substances like alcohol or drugs uncontrollably despite harmful consequences.

Race-wise, Asians were found to have the lowest SUD over the past year while American Indians or Alaska Natives had the highest rate. The survey tracked SUDs in multiple categories—tobacco, nicotine vaping, alcohol, illicit drug use, and fentanyl misuse.