A substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable, chronic disease characterized by the improper use of dependency on drugs or chemical substances that can change how your body and mind work. This includes prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. SUDs can range in severity from mild to severe and can affect people of any race, sex, income level, or social class. If you or someone you know needs help with SUD, find resources at FindTreatment.gov.
This page provides data points and curated searches from OMH’s Knowledge Center library catalog related to substance use within minority and tribal populations in the United States and its territories. The number of catalog records for each topic reflect the search results at the time of this page’s latest update.
For the latest information on substance use among Americans, please see Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
American Indian/Alaska Native
According to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, the percentage of people aged 12 or older in 2023 with a past year SUD was highest among American Indian or Alaska Native people (25.3%) compared with people in other racial or ethnic groups.1
Asian American
According to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, Asian people were less likely to have used illicit drugs in the past year compared with people in other racial or ethnic groups.2
Black/African American
According to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, among people aged 12 or older, 42.5% of Black/African American people drank alcohol in the past month in 2023.3
Hispanic/Latino
According to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, the percentage of Hispanic people aged 12 or older who used tobacco products or vaped nicotine in the past month was 17.9%.4
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
According to SAMHSA’s 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 15.7% of all Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander people aged 12 or older had used illicit drugs in the one-month testing period, which was not a significantly different prevalence as compared to other racial or ethnic groups.5
1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP24-07-021, NSDUH Series H-59). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (Back to footnote)
2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP24-07-021, NSDUH Series H-59). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (Back to footnote)
3 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP24-07-021, NSDUH Series H-59). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (Back to footnote)
4 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP24-07-021, NSDUH Series H-59). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (Back to footnote)
5 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP24-07-021, NSDUH Series H-59). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (Back to footnote)
Date Last Reviewed: October 2025