Nebraska Drug and Alcohol Statistics - World Forum for Mental Health

Statistical Data on Drugs in Nebraska

This comprehensive report presents drug-related statistics for Nebraska. The data spans multiple years, with the most recent statistics from 2023 and historical trends dating back to the early 2000s. Nebraska generally shows lower rates of drug use and overdose deaths compared to national averages, though the state faces increasing challenges with methamphetamine and synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl. A critical concern is the state’s underreporting of drug deaths due to low autopsy rates, which may result in significantly reduced federal funding for treatment programs.

Drug Overdose Deaths

Overall Overdose Deaths by Year

Year	Total Deaths	Death Rate per 100,000
2007	92	5.2
2013	128	7.0
2017	183	9.8
2018	154	8.2
2021	253	12.3
2023	172	9

Key Trends

OD deaths increased 35.63% over 3 years
From 2010-2022, drug-involved death rate increased 73%
From 2019-2023, Nebraska reported 187 deaths, but modeling suggests 338 would have occurred at Montana’s rate
Nebraska’s rate is 64.80% less than the national OD death rate
0.21% of nationwide OD deaths occur in Nebraska

Nebraska Drug Overdose Deaths Statistics

Demographic Breakdown (2021)

Category	Percentage
Unintentional	85.4%
Suicide/Intentional	12.3%
Male	58.9%
Female	41.1%

County-Level Data (2023)

County	Death Rate per 100,000
Douglas County	10.9
Lancaster County	8.6

Nebraska’s overdose death rate is substantially lower than the national average, but has shown concerning upward trends.

Drug-Related Mortality

Drug-Related Death Rates

Year	Deaths	Age-Adjusted Rate per 100,000	National Rate	Comparison
2005	Not specified	5.2	Not specified	Baseline
2007	92	5.2	12.7	Lower
2013	128	7.0	14.4	Lower
2009-2013	634 total	Not specified	Not specified	81% accidental/undetermined

Demographics of Drug-Related Deaths (2009-2013)

By Gender (Age-Adjusted Rates):

Female: 7.3 per 100,000
Male: 6.7 per 100,000

By Urban/Rural Status:

Urban Large Counties: 7.9 per 100,000 (highest)
Urban Small Counties: 5.7 per 100,000
Rural Counties: 6.0 per 100,000

By Race/Ethnicity (2008-2013 Total Deaths):

White: 576 deaths
African American: 40 deaths
Asian: 0 deaths
Native American: 11 deaths
Hispanic: 19 deaths
Non-Hispanic: 615 deaths

Drug-related deaths in Nebraska have increased from 5.2 per 100,000 in 2005 to 11.8 per 100,000 in recent years, though this remains substantially lower than the national rate.

Opioid Epidemic

Opioid Overdose Deaths by Year

Year	Opioid Deaths	Rate per 100,000	Percentage of All Overdoses	National Comparison
2016	44	2.4	Not specified	81.7% lower than U.S. (13.3)
2017	At least 59 confirmed	Not specified	At least 32%	Not specified
2018	At least 60	Not specified	At least 39%	Not specified
2021	127	Not specified	50%	Not specified
2023	78	4.3	45.3%	82.1% lower than U.S.

Synthetic Opioids (Fentanyl)

78.2% of all opioid overdose deaths (2023)
35% of total overdose deaths involved fentanyl and synthetic opioids (2023)
2010-2023: Fentanyl death rate increased 2.8 times
At least 256 Nebraskans died from fentanyl and synthetic opioids during the period examined
138 fentanyl deaths occurred in 2021-2022 alone

Nebraska Synthetic Opioids Statistics

Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers

30.8% of opioid overdose deaths involve prescription opioids (2023)
49% of drug overdose deaths involved opioid pain relievers (2021)
124 deaths involved prescription pain relievers like oxycodone or hydrocodone (2021)

Prescription Rates

Doctors write enough prescriptions for 42.7% of residents (recent data)
2015: Nebraska providers wrote 72.8 opioid prescriptions per 100 persons (1.4 million total)
National average in 2015: 70 opioid prescriptions per 100 persons

Neonatal Impact

2020: 4.4 of every 1,000 births diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome
2001: 0.2 per 1,000 births with NAS
2013: 1.6 per 1,000 births with NAS
Represents an eightfold increase from 2001 to 2013

Health Consequences

2022: 3.1 new cases of hepatitis C per 100,000 linked to intravenous drug use
2023: 6.3 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses per 100,000 connected to intravenous drug use

Nebraska Health Consequences Statistics

Opioids are involved in 45-50% of all overdose deaths in Nebraska.

Youth Drug Use (Ages 12-17)

Overall Youth Drug Use (2022-2023)

Substance	Past Month Use	Nebraska vs. National Average
Illicit Drugs	6.17% (10,000 teens)	15.03% less likely than U.S. average
Alcohol	6.32%	8.13% less likely than U.S. average
Marijuana	5.14%	Lower than national average

Specific Drug Use – Past Year (2022-2023)

Substance	Percentage
Marijuana	9.24%
Pain Relievers (non-medical)	1.74%
Cocaine	0.20%
Methamphetamine	0.16%

Youth Drug Use Disorders (2022-2023)

Disorder Type	Percentage Meeting Criteria
Drug Use Disorder (DUD)	6.50%
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)	2.82%

High School Students (Grades 9-12) – 2013 Data

Past Month Use

Marijuana: 11.7%
Alcohol: 22.1%
Cigarettes: 10.9%

Lifetime Use by Drug Type (2013)

Drug	9th Grade	10th Grade	11th Grade	12th Grade	Female	Male
Marijuana	10.2%	23.5%	32.0%	28.2%	22.7%	24.6%
Prescription Drugs	4.5%	8.6%	14.1%	13.5%	9.7%	11.1%
Inhalants	6.6%	7.3%	6.1%	7.1%	6.6%	7.4%
Ecstasy	1.4%	4.2%	3.5%	3.3%	2.4%	4.1%
Cocaine	1.2%	3.7%	3.8%	3.6%	2.0%	4.4%
Steroids	1.8%	1.9%	2.7%	2.6%	1.2%	3.3%
Methamphetamine	1.0%	2.8%	2.0%	2.1%	1.4%	2.6%
Injected Illegal Drugs	1.5%	1.8%	2.0%	2.0%	0.8%	2.9%
Heroin	0.4%	1.7%	1.4%	0.8%	0.9%	1.6%

Nebraska youth consistently show lower drug and alcohol use rates compared to national averages.

Young Adult Drug Use (Ages 18-25)

Substance Use – Past Month (2022-2023)

Substance	Percentage	Number of Individuals	Nebraska vs. National
Illicit Drugs	19.19%	42,000	28.14% less likely than U.S.
Marijuana	19.02%	41,000	Lower than national average
Illicit Drugs (excluding marijuana)	3.74%	8,000	Similar to national average

Substance Use – Past Year (2022-2023)

Substance	Percentage	Number of Individuals
Marijuana	30.70%	67,000
Cocaine	3.00%	7,000
Opioid Misuse	2.69%	6,000
Pain Reliever Misuse	2.32%	5,000
Hallucinogens	4.86%	11,000
Methamphetamine	0.60%	1,000
Heroin	0.21%	Less than 500

Young adults in Nebraska are 28.14% less likely to use drugs than the average American in their age group, showing significantly lower rates across multiple substances.

Adult Drug Use (Ages 26 and Older)

Substance Use – Past Month (2022-2023)

Substance	Percentage	Number of Individuals
Illicit Drugs	12.27%	154,000
Marijuana	10.73%	134,000
Illicit Drugs (excluding marijuana)	2.84%	36,000

Substance Use – Past Year (2022-2023)

Substance	Percentage	Number of Individuals
Marijuana	15.57%	195,000
Opioid Misuse	2.75%	34,000
Pain Reliever Misuse	2.94%	37,000
Cocaine	1.44%	18,000
Hallucinogens	1.40%	18,000
Methamphetamine	1.13%	14,000
Heroin	0.31%	4,000

Substance Use Disorders – Past Year (2022-2023)

Disorder Type	Percentage	Number of Individuals
Any Substance Use Disorder	15.64%	196,000
Drug Use Disorder	7.21%	90,000
Opioid Use Disorder	2.21%	28,000
Pain Reliever Use Disorder	2.14%	27,000

Adults 26 and older in Nebraska show substantially lower drug use rates than younger age groups, though they represent the largest number of total users due to population size.

Treatment Access and Gaps

Treatment Receipt (2022-2023, Ages 12+)

Received substance use treatment: 4.45% (73,000)
Classified as needing treatment: 18.02% (295,000)
Not receiving treatment among those needing it: 75.19% (220,000)

Treatment Gap by Age (2022-2023)

Age Group	Needing Treatment	Not Receiving Treatment
12-17	11.22%	57.04%
18-25	27.71%	82.58%
26+	17.25%	74.67%

In Need of Treatment but Not Receiving (2012-2013)

2.3% (35,000 persons) needed treatment for illicit drugs but didn’t receive it
Nearly same as national average (2.4%)
Rate increased from 2008-2009 to 2012-2013

A severe treatment gap exists in Nebraska, with three-quarters of those needing treatment not receiving it.

Commonly Abused Drugs in Nebraska

Primary Drug Treatment Admissions (2010)

Drug	Number of Admissions	Gender Breakdown	Notes
Methamphetamine/Amphetamines	1,191	48.4% male, 51.6% female	Most common; Ages 26-30 largest user group
Marijuana	1,070	64.8% male, 35.1% female	Second most common
Cocaine (smoking)	315	Not specified	Not specified
Cocaine (other means)	112	Not specified	Not specified
Prescription Opioids	396	Not specified	Opiates other than heroin

Treatment Admissions as Primary Drug of Choice (2014)

Methamphetamine: 13.9% (increased from 8.4% in 2011)
Marijuana: 10.1%
Other opiates: 5.0%
Cocaine: 1.4% (decreased from 2.9% in 2011)

When Listed Among Top 3 Drugs of Choice (2014)

Alcohol: 77.4%
Marijuana: 34.8%
Methamphetamine: 24.6%
Cocaine: 6.4%

Methamphetamine dominates primary treatment admissions, followed by marijuana and cocaine.

Drug-Related Treatment Statistics

Overall Treatment Enrollment

Year	People Enrolled (Single-Day Count)	Total Annual Admissions	Unique Individuals
2010	15,729 total entries	Not specified	Not specified
2015	5,735	Not specified	Not specified
2019	5,868	Not specified	Not specified
2014	Not specified	21,792	12,494

Treatment Focus (2019 Single-Day Count)

Both drug and alcohol problems: 48.9%
Drug problem only: 29.8%
Alcohol problem only: 21.3%

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioids

Methadone (Single-Day Count):

Year	Number Receiving Methadone
2015	619
2019	645

Buprenorphine (Single-Day Count):

Year	Number Receiving Buprenorphine
2015	52
2019	492
Change	846% increase

Demographics of Treatment Population (2014)

Gender:

Male: 66.2% (8,275)
Female: 33.8% (4,219)

Race/Ethnicity:

Non-Hispanic White: 74.6% (9,318)
Hispanic: 9.2% (1,148)
Non-Hispanic Black: 8.5% (1,066)
Non-Hispanic Native American/Native Hawaiian: 3.7% (451)
Non-Hispanic Asian: 0.7% (93)
Non-Hispanic Multi-Racial: 0.5% (60)
Unknown: 2.9% (358)

Age Groups:

25-34: 32.8% (4,095) – Largest group
35-44: 20.1% (2,514)
21-24: 15.9% (1,987)
45-54: 15.5% (1,934)
18-20: 7.2% (903)
55-64: 6.1% (764)
12-17: 1.6% (201)
65+: 0.7% (93)
<12: 0.0% (2)

Urban/Rural Distribution:

Large Urban: 60.3% (7,422)
Small Urban: 27.8% (3,424)
Rural: 11.9% (1,465)

Nebraska’s substance abuse treatment system serves approximately 12,500 individuals annually through 21,792 total admissions.

Drug Rehabilitation Costs and Services in Nebraska

Service Type	Average Cost per Individual	State Spending	Percentage of U.S. Total	Clients Served Annually
Outpatient Rehab	$1,855	$9.24 million	0.4%	4,982
Residential (Non-Hospital)	$58,777	$51.9 million	1.0%	883
Hospital Rehab	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified	3

Facility Statistics

137 active substance abuse clinics statewide
5,868 total clients serviced annually for drug rehab
3 facilities offer free drug rehab treatment for all patients

Nebraska Facility Statistics

Nebraska is among the top 10 most expensive for outpatient services, creating a potential barrier to accessible care.

Drug-Related Hospitalizations

Inpatient Drug-Attributable Hospitalizations

Year	Total Hospitalizations
2004	5,390
2013	10,901
Change	102% increase (doubled)

Demographics of Drug-Attributable Hospitalizations (2013)

By Gender:

Male: 53.8% (5,868)
Female: 46.2% (5,028)

By Age:

18-44: 60.6% (6,610) – Largest group
45-64: 25.8% (2,812)
1-17: 7.4% (808)
65-84: 4.9% (534)
85+: 1.2% (128)

Drug-attributable hospitalizations in Nebraska have doubled from 2004 to 2013, with the 18-44 age group accounting for nearly two-thirds of all hospitalizations.

Drug-Related Legal Consequences

Arrests for Drug-Related Crimes (2013)

Total: 8,369 arrests for possession or sales/manufacturing
Adults (18+): 7,012 (83.8%)
Juveniles (<18): 1,357 (16.2%)

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (2014)

DRE Examinations:

Total drivers examined: 671
Completed toxicology tests: 550 (82%)

Substances Detected (% of completed tests):

Marijuana: 52.2% (314 drivers)
Depressants: 27.2% (164 drivers)
Stimulants: 16.6% (100 drivers)
Narcotics: 12.1% (73 drivers)
Other drugs: 3.3% (20 drivers)

Trend (2012-2014):

2012: 595 drivers examined
2014: 671 drivers examined
Increase: 13%

Probation for Drug Offenses

Year	Number Sentenced to Probation	Percentage of All Probations
2000	Not specified	5.4%
2011	1,468	7.8%
2014	1,987	11.2%
Change 2011-2014	+519 (+35%)	+3.4 percentage points

Incarceration for Drug Offenses

Total Incarcerated:

Year	Number Incarcerated
2012	637
2014	714
FY 2013	679 (576 male, 103 female)

Annual Cost:

Approximately $20 million to maintain drug offense inmates

By Gender (FY 2013):

Males: 576 (2nd most common reason for incarceration, 12.8% of male inmates)
Females: 103 (most common reason for incarceration, 30% of female inmates)

Drug-related offenses represent a significant burden on Nebraska’s criminal justice system, costing over $20 million annually for incarceration alone.

Federal Funding and Underreporting Impact

Federal Funding Comparison

SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (2010-2022):

Nebraska: $63 per person (lowest in nation)
National average: $93 per person
Funding gap: $30 per person
Estimated lost funding: $50 million

Emergency Department Data

Nonfatal Overdoses (2023):

Nebraska: 85 per 100,000 residents
Montana: 85 per 100,000 residents (same rate)
Texas: 85 per 100,000 residents (same rate)

Mortality Comparison:

Nebraska reported: 187 deaths (2023)
Expected at Montana’s rate: 338 deaths
Undercount: 151 deaths (45%)

Nebraska receives the lowest per-capita federal substance abuse treatment funding in the nation, directly related to its underreporting of drug deaths.

Final Words

Nebraska maintains drug use and overdose rates significantly below national averages. However, the state faces critical challenges with methamphetamine treatment admissions increasing over 200% in a decade and fentanyl deaths rising 2.8 times since 2010. The most concerning issue is systematic underreporting of drug deaths due to low autopsy rates, resulting in Nebraska receiving the lowest federal treatment funding in the nation and leaving 75% of those needing treatment without access to care. This underreporting masks the true scope of Nebraska’s drug crisis and perpetuates a cycle of inadequate resources and unmet treatment needs.

Statistical Data on Alcohol in Nebraska

This comprehensive report presents alcohol-related statistics for Nebraska. The data spans multiple years, with the most recent statistics from 2023 and historical trends dating back to the early 2000s. Nebraska shows a concerning pattern of higher-than-national-average binge drinking rates among adults, ranking as the fifth-worst state nationally for adult binge drinking. While youth alcohol consumption has decreased significantly over the
past two decades, young adults (ages 18-25) maintain the highest drinking rates in the state. Alcohol-related deaths, hospitalizations, and legal consequences place a substantial burden on Nebraska’s healthcare and criminal justice systems, with estimated costs exceeding $1.5 billion annually.

Overall Alcohol Deaths and Economic Impact

Annual Alcohol Deaths

Year	Total Deaths	Deaths Under Age 21	Percentage Under 21	Deaths per Capita
2006–2010 (average)	542	Not specified	Not specified	1 death per 2,724 adults 18+
2010	542	Not specified	Not specified	4.87 per 10,000 adults
Recent average	720	Not specified	3.1%	4.87 per 10,000 adults

Death Demographics

Males: 68.2% of excessive alcohol use deaths
Chronic causes: 66.1% (such as Alcohol Use Disorder)
Ages 35+: 85.4% of deaths
Under age 21: 3.06% of deaths

Economic Impact

2010: $1.167 billion in taxpayer costs
2022 (inflation-adjusted): $1.575 billion or $2.17 per drink
Underage drinking alone: $324.5 million (2013) or $1,779 per youth
75% of costs attributable to binge drinking
Government costs: $491 million (2010)

Years of Potential Life Lost

CDC estimates: 17.435 years per death lost to excessive alcohol use annually

Ranking Among Causes of Death (2010)

Cancer: 3,437 deaths
Heart Disease: 3,344 deaths
Chronic Lung Disease: 903 deaths
Cerebrovascular Disease: 877 deaths
Accidents: 696 deaths
Alzheimer’s Disease: 565 deaths
Alcohol-Related: 542 deaths

Alcohol causes an average of 542-720 deaths annually in Nebraska, making it the 7th most common cause of death in the state.

Alcohol Consumption Patterns – All Ages

Alcohol Use by Age Group (2022-2023)

Age Group	Past Month Alcohol Use	Past Month Binge Drinking
12+ (all ages)	50.79% (830,000)	23.63% (386,000)
12-17 (youth)	6.32% (11,000)	3.36% (6,000)
18-25 (young adults)	50.46% (109,000)	31.91% (69,000)
26+ (adults)	56.78% (710,000)	24.90% (312,000)
18+ (all adults)	55.84% (820,000)	25.94% (381,000)

Underage Drinking (Ages 12-20)

Measure	Percentage	Number of Persons
Past Month Alcohol Use	14.73%	36,000
Past Month Binge Drinking	9.00%	22,000
Perception of Great Risk (5+ drinks 1-2x/week)	35.48%	87,000

Risk Perceptions (Ages 12+, 2022-2023)

Perception	Percentage	Number of Persons
Great risk from 5+ drinks once or twice a week	38.64%	632,000

More than half of Nebraskans aged 12 and older (50.79%) consumed alcohol in the past month, with nearly one-quarter (23.63%) engaging in binge drinking.

Youth Alcohol Consumption (High School Students, Grades 9-12)

Lifetime Alcohol Use (Ever Used)

Year	Nebraska Rate	Estimated Persons	National Rate	Comparison
2011	60.6%	Not specified	Higher than NE	Lower than U.S.
2013	52.1%	52,000	66.2%	Lower than U.S. (14.1% difference)

By Grade (2013):

9th Grade: 40.7%
12th Grade: 56.2%
Pattern: Increases with grade level; Nebraska lower than U.S. in each grade

By Gender (2013): No significant difference

Males: 50.0%
Females: 54.2%

Past Month Alcohol Use (Current Use)

Year	Nebraska Rate	Estimated Persons	National Rate	Comparison
2011	26.6%	Not specified	Higher than NE	Lower than U.S.
2013	22.1%	22,000	34.9%	Lower than U.S.
2017–2019	9.4%	15,000	9.4%	Similar to U.S.

By Grade (2013):

9th Grade: 12.4%
12th Grade: 25.5%
Pattern: Doubles from 9th to 12th grade

By Gender (2013): No significant difference

Males: 20.8%
Females: 23.5%

Recent Binge Drinking Data (2023)

Grade	Male	Female
9th Grade	3.4%	3.8%
10th Grade	3.7%	1.8%
11th Grade	6.4%	4.0%
12th Grade	3.1%	7.2%

Nebraska youth show significantly lower alcohol use rates than national averages across all measures, with past-month use at 22.1% compared to 34.9% nationally.

Young Adult Alcohol Consumption (Ages 19-25)

Overall Alcohol Use (Ages 19-25)

Year	Past Month Use	Estimated Persons
2010	67.9%	Not specified
2013	68.1%	128,000

By Age (2013):

23-25 years: 78.0% (highest)
21-22 years: 75.7%
19-20 years: 47.9% (lower due to legal age restrictions)

By Gender (2013): No significant difference

Males: 67.9%
Females: 68.4%

Binge Drinking (Ages 19-25)

Measure	2010	2013	Estimated Persons (2013)
Binge drinking (all young adults)	43.8%	44.9%	84,000
Binge drinking (among past-month drinkers only)	64.8%	66.3%	84,000
Binge drinking more than once per month	31.7%	33.0%	62,000

Recent Data (2017-2019)

Past-month binge drinking: 41.8% (89,000)
Higher than national average (35.4%)
Similar to regional average (37.7%)

Drinks Per Binge Episode (Young Adults)

Age Group	Average Drinks
18-24 years	8.1 drinks
25-34 years	8.3 drinks
Overall average	7.2 drinks

Young Adult Perceptions and Norms (Perceived Great Risk from Binge Drinking)

Year	Percentage
2010	32.1%
2013	30.1%

Young adults in Nebraska show the highest drinking rates of any age group, with two-thirds reporting past-month alcohol use and nearly half engaging in binge drinking.

Adult Alcohol Consumption (Ages 18+)

Binge Drinking Among Adults 18+

Year	Nebraska Rate	Estimated Persons	National Rate	Comparison
2011	22.7%	Not specified	Lower than NE	Higher than U.S.
2014	20.3%	287,000	16.0%	Higher than U.S.
2021–2023	25.0%	Not specified	21.7%	Higher than U.S.

National Rankings

Nebraska: 5th worst state for adult binge drinking (19.1%)
Nebraska: 8th worst state for excessive alcohol consumption (19.9%)
Nebraska: Ranks 43rd nationally in excessive drinking

Nebraska National Rankings Statistics

Binge Drinking Demographics (2011-2014 Combined)

By Age:

25-34 years: 34.6% (highest rate)
18-34 years: Most likely age group overall
35-44 years: 25.5%
85+ years: 0.6% (lowest)

By Gender:

Males: 27.8% (significantly higher)
Females: 15.1%

Binge Drinking Characteristics (Frequency and Intensity)

Median binge frequency: 1.7 times per month (all binge drinkers)
Top 25% most active binge drinkers: 3.9 times per month
Median drinks per binge: 5.6 drinks (all binge drinkers)
Top 25% most active binge drinkers: 8.0 drinks per binge

Heavy Drinking Among Adults 18+

Year	Nebraska Rate	Estimated Persons	National Rate	Comparison
2011	Higher than U.S.	Not specified	Lower than NE	Nebraska higher
2012	Higher than U.S.	Not specified	Lower than NE	Nebraska higher
2014	6.4%	91,000	5.9%	Similar (non-significant)

Alcohol Sales Data

Year	Gallons per 10,000 Population (Ages 14+)	National Average	Comparison
2000	22,288	Not specified	Baseline
2010	23,136	22,608	Nebraska above national average
Trend	Increasing since 2000		Nebraska higher

Nebraska adults consistently show higher drinking rates than the national average.

Alcohol Use Disorders

Alcohol Use Disorder Prevalence (2022-2023)

Age Group	Percentage	Number of Persons	National Comparison
12+ (all ages)	11.33%	185,000	Similar to U.S. (10.4% in 2021-23)
12-17 (youth)	2.82%	5,000	Not specified
18-25 (young adults)	16.46%	36,000	Higher than U.S. (9.8% in 2017-19)
26+ (adults)	11.57%	145,000	Not specified
18+ (all adults)	12.29%	180,000	Not specified
12-20 (underage)	5.64%	14,000	Not specified

Historical Trends – Alcohol Dependence or Abuse

Young Adults 18-25 (2017-2019):

Nebraska: 13.3% (28,000)
National: 9.8%
Regional: 10.5%

Comparison: Higher than both national and regional averages
Trend: Decreased from 2002-2004

All Ages 12+ (2017-2019):

Nebraska: 5.8% (92,000)
National: 5.3%
Regional: 5.5%
Comparison: Similar to both
Trend: Decreased from 2002-2004

All Ages 12+ (2021-2023):

Nebraska: 11.5%
National: 10.4%
Regional: 11.3%
Comparison: Similar to both

Approximately 11-12% of Nebraskans have an alcohol use disorder, affecting 185,000 people.

Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

Measure	Year	Nebraska Rate	National Ranking	Trend
Used alcohol 3 months before pregnancy	2011	64.7%	5th highest of 25 states	Increasing
Used alcohol during last 3 months of pregnancy	2011	6.0%	Not specified	Increasing

Trends – Before Pregnancy

Year	Percentage Reporting Use
2000	56.5%
2011	64.7%
Change	Steady increase

Trends – During Pregnancy

Year	Percentage Reporting Use
2000	3.2%
2011	6.0%
Change	Nearly doubled (with some variability)

Nebraska shows concerning rates of alcohol use during pregnancy, ranking 5th highest among participating states for pre-pregnancy alcohol use.

Treatment Needs and Gaps

Need for Treatment but Not Receiving (2012-2013)

Population	Percentage	Number of Persons	National Rate	Comparison	Trend
Ages 12+	7.6%	116,000	6.4%	Higher (non-significant)	Decreasing overall, but increase 2012-2013

Alcohol Treatment Admissions (2014)

Total substance abuse admissions: 13,537 (among 12,494 individuals)

Admissions listing alcohol as primary drug: 62.1%
Admissions listing alcohol in top 3 drugs: 77.4%

Alcohol as Primary Drug of Choice

Year	Percentage of Admissions
2011	69.7%
2014	62.1%
Trend	Slight decrease

A significant treatment gap exists for alcohol disorders, with 7.6% of Nebraskans (116,000 people) needing but not receiving treatment.

Alcohol-Related Hospitalizations

Inpatient Alcohol-Attributable Hospitalizations

Year	Total Hospitalizations	Change from Baseline
2004	5,840	Baseline
2013	10,622	+82% (nearly doubled)

Demographics of Hospitalizations (2013)

By Gender:

Males: 7,451 (70.2%)
Females: 3,165 (29.8%)

By Age:

18-64: Nearly 90% of all hospitalizations
45-64: 4,920 (46.3%) – Largest group
Pattern: Most hospitalizations occur in middle-aged adults

Alcohol-attributable hospitalizations have doubled from 5,840 in 2004 to 10,622 in 2013.

Alcohol-Related Legal Consequences

DUI and Liquor Law Arrests (2000-2013)

Year	Total Alcohol-Related Arrests	% of All Arrests
2000	15,000-24,000 range	26%
2008	15,000-24,000 range	32%
2013	15,000-24,000 range	24.9%

2013 Breakdown:

DUI arrests: 9,326 (adult)
Non-DUI alcohol-related arrests: 6,203 (e.g., public intoxication, minor in possession, purchasing/selling to
minor)

Incarceration for DUI

Prison Sentences (2011-2013):

Total DUI offenders sentenced to prison: 610
2011: 184 persons
2013: 213 persons

Annual Cost (2013):

Cost per inmate per year: $28,182
Total annual cost for 213 DUI inmates: Over $6 million

Alcohol-related offenses place an enormous strain on Nebraska’s criminal justice system.

Final Words

Nebraska faces a significant alcohol crisis driven primarily by adult binge drinking, with the state ranking 5th worst nationally. While youth alcohol consumption has decreased substantially and remains below national levels, young adults (18-25) show alarming rates. The economic burden exceeds $1.5 billion annually, with alcohol-attributable hospitalizations doubling since 2004 and DUI representing 41% of all probation sentences. Despite 116,000 Nebraskans needing alcohol treatment, 7.6% are not receiving it, perpetuating a cycle of preventable deaths, crashes, and social costs.

Conclusion

In general, Nebraska presents a paradoxical substance abuse crisis: while drug use and overdose rates appear significantly lower than national averages, systematic underreporting autopsy rates has resulted in the state receiving the lowest federal treatment funding in the nation, masking the true scope of the drug problem. Simultaneously, the state faces a severe alcohol crisis, ranking 5th worst nationally for adult binge drinking and an economic burden exceeding $1.5 billion annually. Despite these overlapping crises affecting nearly 411,000 Nebraskans who need substance abuse treatment, 75% are not receiving care, perpetuating cycles of preventable deaths, hospitalizations, and criminal justice costs exceeding $26 million. The convergence of underfunding, underreporting, and inadequate treatment access creates a self-reinforcing cycle where Nebraska’s substance abuse problems remain both underestimated and undertreated.