Wyoming Drug and Alcohol Statistics - World Forum for Mental Health

Statistical Data on Drugs in Wyoming

Wyoming faces significant substance abuse challenges despite its relatively small population. The state ranks 13th nationally for drug problems, making it one of the states with the most severe drug issues relative to its size. This comprehensive statistical overview draws from multiple data sources spanning 2007-2024, providing insight into drug use patterns, overdose deaths, treatment statistics, and law enforcement trends across the state.

Drug Overdose Deaths

Annual Overdose Statistics

126 drug overdose deaths per year (current)
2.26% of all deaths in Wyoming are from drug overdose
OD deaths increased by 55.32% over the last 3 years
Death rate: 21.9 deaths per 100,000 residents
This rate is 35.41% less than the national OD death rate
Wyoming accounts for 0.12% of nationwide OD deaths

Wyoming Overall Drug Overdose Death Statistics

Wyoming has experienced a concerning increase in drug-related fatalities over the past decade.

Historical Overdose Death Rates

Year	Deaths per 100,000	Total Deaths
2007	13.0	68
2009	11.6	63
2011	15.2	–
2021	18.9	109
Current	21.9	126

Drug overdose death rates in Wyoming increased from 15.2 per 100,000 in 2011 to 18.9 per 100,000 in 2021.

Opioid Epidemic

Opioid Overdose Deaths

Year	Opioid Deaths
2009	32
2010	45
2011	41
2012	46
2013	47
2014	52
2015	45
2016	46
2017	42
2018	40
2019	46
2020	60
2021	69
2022	81
2023	86

Opioids represent a major component of Wyoming’s overdose crisis, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all drug overdose deaths.

Current Opioid Statistics

86 opioid overdose deaths in 2023
15.0 deaths per 100,000 residents (37.5% less than national rate)
Opioids are a factor in 63.7% of all overdose deaths (65% in 2021)
Synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl) involved in 66.3% of opioid overdose deaths
39.5% of opioid overdose deaths involve prescription opioids

Age-Adjusted Opioid Death Rates

2011: 7.5 per 100,000
2021: 12.4 per 100,000
National comparison: U.S. rate increased from 7.3 per 100,000 (2011) to 24.7 per 100,000 (2021)

Opioid-Related Health Impacts

9.1 of every 1,000 births diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (2020)
2.8 newborns per 1,000 hospitalized diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) (2020)
Doctors write enough prescriptions for 43.0% of residents to have one
1.0 new cases of hepatitis C linked to intravenous drug use per 100,000 (2022)
1.3 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses connected to intravenous drug use (2023)

Wyoming’s unique profile shows the highest involvement of prescription opioids but the lowest involvement of synthetic opioids compared to other states.

Substance Use Prevalence by Age Group

Youth (Ages 12-17)

Drug Use Rates (2021-2022 Annual Averages)

Measure	Percentage	Number of Youth
Illicit drug use (past month)	6.06%	3,000
Marijuana use (past year)	10.02%	5,000
Marijuana use (past month)	4.03%	2,000
Illicit drug use other than marijuana (past month)	1.88%	1,000
Cocaine use (past year)	0.13%	–
Methamphetamine use (past year)	0.14%	–
Prescription pain reliever misuse (past year)	3.48%	2,000
Opioid misuse (past year)	3.44%	2,000
Alcohol use (past month)	8.18%	–

Historical Youth Trends (2017-2019)

Past-month marijuana use: 7.1% (compared to 6.5% in 2002-2004)
Past-month alcohol use: 8.9% (compared to 18.4% in 2002-2004)
Past-month illicit drug use: 8.6% (compared to 8.2% in 2015-2017)

Substance Use Initiation (First Lifetime Use, 2017-2019)

Alcohol: 9.2% (vs. 9.3% national average)
Marijuana: 4.4% (vs. 5.2% national average)
Cigarettes: 2.8% (vs. 2.3% national average)

Youth Substance Use Disorders (2021-2022)

Drug use disorder: 5.24% (3,000 youth)
Pain reliever use disorder: 1.01%
Opioid use disorder: 1.02%
Substance use disorder: 9.43% (5,000 youth)
Alcohol use disorder: 3.37%

Comparative Statistics

Wyoming teenagers are 19.35% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen
5.85% of 12- to 17-year-olds report using drugs in the last month
Among those who used illicit drugs, 66.67% reported marijuana use
12- to 17-year-olds in Wyoming are 18.90% more likely to use alcohol than the average American in their age group

Wyoming youth show lower rates of illicit drug use compared to national averages, but higher rates of alcohol use.

Young Adults (Ages 18-25)

Drug Use Rates (2021-2022 Annual Averages)

Measure	Percentage	Number
Illicit drug use (past month)	20.64%	12,000
Marijuana use (past year)	31.60%	18,000
Marijuana use (past month)	19.46%	11,000
Cocaine use (past year)	2.97%	2,000
Heroin use (past year)	0.21%	0
Hallucinogen use (past year)	6.47%	4,000
Methamphetamine use (past year)	0.85%	0
Prescription pain reliever misuse (past year)	2.80%	2,000
Opioid misuse (past year)	3.09%	2,000

Historical Young Adult Trends (2017-2019)

Past-year marijuana use: 29.8% (compared to 27.2% in 2002-2004)
Past-month binge alcohol use: 36.3% (compared to 39.2% in 2015-2017)

Young Adult Substance Use Disorders (2021-2022)

Substance use disorder: 28.49% (17,000 young adults)
Drug use disorder: 17.75% (10,000)
Marijuana use disorder: 3.7% (2,000) in 2017-2019
Opioid use disorder: 1.14% (1,000)
Pain reliever use disorder: 1.05%
Illicit drug use disorder: 5.6% (3,000) in 2017-2019
Alcohol use disorder: 11.7% in 2017-2019

Comparative Statistics

18- to 25-year-olds in Wyoming are 23.18% less likely to use drugs than the average American in the same age group
Past-year marijuana use (29.8%) is lower than both regional (38.8%) and national (35.0%) averages
Binge alcohol use (36.3%) is slightly higher than the national average (35.4%)
Alcohol use disorder (11.7%) is higher than the national average (9.8%)

Young adults show significantly lower illicit drug use compared to national averages but struggle more with alcohol use disorders.

Adults (Ages 26+)

Drug Use Rates (2021-2022 Annual Averages)

Measure	Percentage	Number
Illicit drug use (past month)	10.38%	40,000
Marijuana use (past year)	14.94%	57,000
Marijuana use (past month)	9.43%	36,000
Cocaine use (past year)	1.03%	4,000
Heroin use (past year)	0.42%	2,000
Hallucinogen use (past year)	2.32%	9,000
Methamphetamine use (past year)	1.68%	6,000
Prescription pain reliever misuse (past year)	3.30%	13,000
Opioid misuse (past year)	3.19%	12,000

Adult Substance Use Disorders (2021-2022)

Substance use disorder: 18.94% (72,000)
Drug use disorder: 7.99% (31,000)
Opioid use disorder: 2.13% (8,000)
Pain reliever use disorder: 2.02% (8,000)

Wyoming’s adults substance use rates remain below national averages for most categories.

Substance Abuse Treatment

Treatment Enrollment and Capacity

Current Treatment Statistics

2,233 clients enrolled in outpatient services annually
236 clients enrolled in residential (non-hospital) services
30 clients in hospitals for drug rehab
227 people receiving buprenorphine as part of treatment (2019), increased from 73 in 2015
60 active substance abuse clinics in Wyoming
No facility in Wyoming offers free drug rehab treatment for all patients

Wyoming Current Treatment Statistics

Treatment Enrollment Changes

2015: 3,261 people enrolled (single-day count)
2019: 2,499 people enrolled (single-day count)
This represents a decrease of 762 people

Treatment Focus (2019)

26.9% received treatment for drug problem only
32.4% received treatment for alcohol problem only
40.6% received treatment for both drug and alcohol problems

Historical Treatment Admissions

2010: 6,072 people entered treatment

67.5% were males
31.8% were females

Treatment Access and Need

Treatment Statistics (2022)

Measure	Number	Percentage
Received substance use treatment (12+)	32,000	6.59%
Classified as needing treatment (12+)	101,000	20.63%
Not receiving treatment among those needing it	74,000	69.40%

By Age Group (2022)

Ages 12-17: 5.30% received treatment; 12.73% classified as needing it
Ages 18-25: 7.72% received treatment; 35.28% classified as needing it; 80.50% of those needing it did not receive it
Ages 26+: 6.58% received treatment; 19.31% classified as needing it; 67.30% of those needing it did not receive it

A critical treatment gap exists in Wyoming. While 20.63% of the population is classified as needing substance use treatment, only 6.59% receive it.

Cost of Treatment

Average Treatment Costs

Service Type	Average Cost per Individual
Outpatient rehabilitation	$2,069
Residential (non-hospital)	$65,975
Overall average	$2,069

Public Expenditure

$4.62 million (0.2% of U.S. total) spent on outpatient services
$15.57 million (0.3% of U.S. total) spent on residential treatment

National Rankings

Wyoming ranks 46th overall (most expensive)
Most expensive state for residential drug abuse treatment (non-hospital)
Most expensive state for outpatient rehabilitation services

Wyoming has the distinction of being the most expensive state for both residential and outpatient drug rehabilitation services.

Commonly Abused Drugs and Treatment Admissions (2010)

Marijuana

1,010 people received treatment
74.2% were male
24.8% were female
Most commonly cited drug among primary drug treatment admissions

Amphetamines/Methamphetamine

687 individuals entered drug rehabs for amphetamine abuse
People admitted for meth addiction significantly higher than national average: Wyoming: 11.2%; U.S. average: 6.3%

Other Opiates (excluding heroin)

270 people admitted for addiction

Cocaine

75 people entered treatment (all forms: smoked, snorted, injected)

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Statistics

2024 Arrest Statistics Summary

Overall Drug-Involved Arrests

Total arrests: 10,481
Methamphetamine-involved: 10.5% (1,100 arrests)
Marijuana-involved: 9.69% (1,016 arrests)
Total drug-involved arrests: 22.84% (2,394 arrests)
Public intoxication: 7.35%
Fentanyl-involved arrests: 53 (Casper Police Department only)

Wyoming Drug Involved Arrests Statistics

Counties with Highest Drug-Involved Arrests (2024):

Natrona: 568
Laramie: 459
Campbell: 236

Impaired Driving Statistics

2024 DUI Statistics

Total DUI arrests: 3,058
Drug-involved DUI arrests: 602 (19.33%)
Traffic crashes involving drugs: 24.58%
Average BAC for alcohol-involved traffic crashes: 0.1707 (348 arrests)

Counties with Highest DUI Arrests (2024)

Laramie: 485
Natrona: 392
Sweetwater: 329

Counties with Highest Drug-Involved DUI (2024)

Laramie: 135
Natrona: 90
Sweetwater: 70

Counties with Highest Drug-Involved Traffic Crashes (2024)

Natrona: 18
Sweetwater: 18
Laramie: 16

Juvenile/Underage Statistics (2024)

Underage DUI

223 arrests
48 involved drugs
Average BAC: 0.1265
7% of all DUI arrests were under age 21

Juvenile Arrests Overall

Less than 1% of arrests statewide (103 total)
3 arrests involved methamphetamine
10 arrests involved marijuana
15.53% involved drugs (16 total)

Law enforcement data reveals significant shifts in Wyoming’s substance abuse landscape. While alcohol-involved arrests decreased by 58% from 2010-2019, drug-involved arrests increased by 24%.

Final Words

Wyoming faces a disproportionate substance abuse crisis for its population size, ranking 13th nationally for drug problems. The state struggles with rising overdose deaths (up 55% in three years), a severe treatment gap where 69% of those needing help don’t receive it, and the highest treatment costs in the nation. While drug use rates remain below national averages in most categories, methamphetamine arrests have more than doubled since 2011, and opioid deaths have nearly tripled since 2009, signaling an escalating public health emergency.

Statistical Data on Alcohol in Wyoming

Wyoming faces one of the nation’s most severe alcohol abuse problems, with one of the highest rates of alcohol-related deaths per capita in the United States. Alcohol plays a role in approximately half of all arrests statewide, and binge drinking rates exceed national averages across multiple age groups. This comprehensive statistical overview draws from multiple data sources spanning 2002-2024, providing insight into alcohol consumption patterns, mortality, treatment statistics, underage drinking, and law enforcement trends across the state.

Alcohol-Related Deaths and Mortality

Annual Death Statistics

347 deaths per year attributable to excessive alcohol use
2.6% of alcohol-related deaths involve people under 21
Wyoming averages 1 death from excessive alcohol use for every 1,662 people aged 18 and older
7.82 deaths for every 10,000 adults
The 5-year average annual rate of excessive alcohol deaths per capita increased by 47.6% from 2015 to 2019

Demographics of Alcohol-Related Deaths

70.3% of people who die from excessive alcohol use are male
85.0% of deaths are adults aged 35 years and older
2.59% are under the age of 21
60.8% of excessive alcohol use deaths are from chronic causes, such as Alcohol Use Disorder
39.2% are from acute causes

Years of Life Lost

CDC estimates 9,249 years of potential life lost to excessive alcohol use each year

Economic Impact

Wyoming taxpayers spent $593.1 million as a result of excessive alcohol use in 2010
Adjusted for inflation: equivalent to 800.7 millionin 2022 US
This equals 3.15 perdrinkin 2022 US

Wyoming’s alcohol mortality rate of 7.82 deaths per 10,000 adults is among the highest in the nation.

Alcohol Consumption Patterns by Age Group

Youth (Ages 12-17)

Alcohol Use Rates (2021-2022 Annual Averages)

Measure	Number	Percentage
Alcohol use (past month)	3,000	6.70%
Binge alcohol use (past month)	2,000	3.53%

Historical Youth Trends (2017-2019)

Past-month alcohol use: 8.9% (or 4,000 youth)
Compared to 18.4% in 2002-2004
This represents a significant decrease

National Comparisons (2017-2019)

Wyoming past-month alcohol use: 8.9%
Regional average: 8.5%
National average: 9.4%

Youth Perceptions of Risk

39.36% perceive great risk from having 5+ drinks once or twice a week

Alcohol Use Disorder

2,000 youth (3.29%) met criteria for alcohol use disorder in past year
Wyoming youth alcohol consumption has declined dramatically from 18.4% (2002-2004) to 8.9% (2017-2019), representing a 52% reduction in past-month use.

Young Adults (Ages 18-25)

Alcohol Use Rates (2021-2022 Annual Averages)

Measure	Number	Percentage
Alcohol use (past month)	32,000	55.05%
Binge alcohol use (past month)	18,000	31.51%

Historical Young Adult Trends (2017-2019)

Past-month binge alcohol use: 36.3% (or 21,000 young adults)
Compared to 39.2% in 2015-2017
This represents a modest decrease

National Comparisons (2017-2019)

Wyoming binge drinking: 36.3%
Regional average: 36.3%
National average: 35.4%
Wyoming’s rate is slightly higher than the national average

Alcohol Use Disorder (2017-2019)

11.7% (or 7,000 young adults) met criteria for alcohol use disorder
Compared to 23.7% in 2002-2004
National average: 9.8%
Wyoming’s rate is 19.4% higher than the national average

Current Alcohol Use Disorder (2021-2022)

11,000 young adults (19.28%) met criteria for alcohol use disorder

Perceptions of Risk

34.04% perceive great risk from having 5+ drinks once or twice a week
Young adults show the highest rates of alcohol use and binge drinking across all age groups, with more than half (55.05%) using alcohol in the past month.

Adults (Ages 26+)

Alcohol Use Rates (2021-2022 Annual Averages)

Measure	Number	Percentage
Alcohol use (past month)	200,000	52.38%
Binge alcohol use (past month)	87,000	22.65%

Alcohol Use Disorder

45,000 adults (11.65%) met criteria for alcohol use disorder in past year

Perceptions of Risk

42.18% perceive great risk from having 5+ drinks once or twice a week
Adult alcohol use rates remain high, with more than half (52.38%) using alcohol in the past month and nearly one-quarter (22.65%) engaging in binge drinking.

Underage Drinking (Ages 12-20)

Consumption Rates (2021-2022)

Measure	Number	Percentage
Alcohol use (past month)	9,000	14.01%
Binge alcohol use (past month)	6,000	8.99%

Alcohol Use Disorder

4,000 underage individuals (5.64%) met criteria for alcohol use disorder

Perceptions of Risk

38.25% perceive great risk from having 5+ drinks once or twice a week

Historical Student Data (2009, Grades 9-12)

71.8% had at least one drink of alcohol during their life
26.1% had their first drink before age 13
41.7% had at least one drink in the past 30 days
27.8% engaged in binge drinking (5+ drinks in a row) in the past 30 days
6.4% had at least one drink on school property in the past 30 days

While underage drinking rates have likely decreased since 2009 based on youth trends, historical data shows alarming patterns including more than one-quarter starting drinking before age 13.

Economic Impact of Underage Drinking

Total Costs to Wyoming (2010)

$166.8 million in total costs (equivalent to $200 million in 2024 dollars)
$3,136 per year for each youth in the state
$3.99 per drink consumed underage
Direct costs (medical care and loss of work): $72 million annually
$1.72 per drink in direct costs
Retail price per drink: $1.13

Breakdown of Costs by Problem (2010, in millions)

Problem	Cost
Youth Violence	$66.6
Youth Traffic Crashes	$47.0
Youth Alcohol Treatment	$23.4
High-Risk Sex (Ages 14-20)	$12.8
Youth Property Crime	$7.7
Youth Injury	$5.9
FAS Among Mothers Age 15-20	$1.9
Poisonings and Psychoses	$1.5
Total	$166.8

Youth violence and traffic crashes represent the largest economic burdens at $66.6 million and $47.0 million respectively, accounting for 68% of total underage drinking costs.

Underage Alcohol Consumption and Sales

Market Statistics (2009)

Approximately 24,000 underage customers drink each year
23.1% of all alcohol sold in Wyoming consumed by underage drinkers
Total underage sales: $47 million (in 2010 dollars)
Profits to alcohol industry: $23 million
Wyoming ranked 28th nationally for percentage of alcohol consumed underage

Per Customer Consumption

Annual sales per underage customer: $1,971
Underage customers drank an average of 4.8 drinks per day
Legal customers consumed only 2.0 drinks per day
Underage drinkers consumed 2.4 times more per day than adults

Underage drinkers consume nearly one-quarte of all alcohol sold in Wyoming despite representing a smaller portion of the population.

Harm from Underage Drinking

Traffic-Related Harm (2009)

13 traffic fatalities attributable to underage drinking
433 nonfatal traffic injuries from underage drinking

Violence and Crime (2009)

2 homicides attributable to underage drinking
1,300 nonfatal violent crimes (rape, robbery, assault)
3,000 property crimes (burglary, larceny, car theft)

Wyoming Underage Drinking Harm Statistics

Other Harm

1 alcohol-involved fatal burn, drowning, or suicide (2007)
38 teen pregnancies attributable to underage drinking (2009)
1,839 teens engaging in risky sex due to alcohol (2009)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

FAS among mothers age 15-20 costs Wyoming $2 million annually

Treatment Admissions

635 youth aged 12-20 admitted for alcohol treatment in 2009
This accounted for 16% of all alcohol treatment admissions in the state

Long-term Risk

Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are:

4 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence
2.5 times more likely to become alcohol abusers
Compared to those who begin drinking at age 21

Comparative Harm

Harm from underage drinking averages $1,091 per youth (in US prices)

Underage drinking generates substantial public safety and health consequences beyond economic costs.

Alcohol Treatment

Treatment Admissions (2010)

2,176 people entered treatment for alcohol dependence
1,738 additional people admitted for alcohol dependence with secondary drug abuse
Total alcohol-related admissions: 3,914

Youth Treatment

635 youth aged 12-20 admitted for alcohol treatment (2009)
This represented 16% of all alcohol treatment admissions

Alcohol remains the dominant substance requiring treatment in Wyoming, with more than 70% of substance abuse treatment clients having an alcohol-related problem.

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Statistics (2024)

Alcohol Involvement in Arrests

Alcohol involved in 52.58% of all custodial arrests
Alcohol and/or drugs involved in 70% of arrests (10,481 total)
Public intoxication: 770 arrests (7.35%)
DUI arrests: 3,058 (29.18% of all arrests)

Wyoming Alcohol Involved Arrests Statistics

Blood Alcohol Content

Average BAC for public intoxication: 0.2222
Average BAC for DUI arrests: 0.1596
57% of DUI arrests had BAC above 0.16
21% had BAC of 0.24 or greater
Average BAC for DUI with traffic crash: 0.1707 (346 arrests)

Counties with Highest Alcohol Involvement (2024)

Teton: 80.09%
Fremont: 68.06%
Lincoln: 66.44%

Counties with Highest BAC for DUI (2024)

Converse: 0.1765
Johnson: 0.1735
Campbell: 0.1720

DUI by Age Group (2024)

Ages 21-25: 14.81%
Ages 31-35: 13.83%
Ages 26-30: 13.64%

Juvenile/Underage Arrests (2024)

30% of juvenile arrests involved alcohol (31 total)
159 underage youth placed in detention for minor in possession
Average BAC: 0.1361
223 underage DUI arrests
Average BAC: 0.1265
7% of all DUI arrests were under age 21

Alcohol remains the dominant factor in Wyoming arrests, involved in more than half (52.58%) of all arrests in 2024.

Public Opinion Survey (4,798 Wyoming residents)

Severity of Alcohol Abuse

79.7% view alcohol abuse by Wyoming adults as a serious or somewhat serious problem

Support for Policy Interventions

64.3% strongly support a law prohibiting serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated persons
17.9% somewhat support such a law
Combined support: 82.2%

Drinking and Driving Concerns

84.5% believe drinking and driving in their community is a serious or somewhat serious problem

Public perception aligns with statistical reality—nearly 80% of Wyoming residents recognize adult alcohol abuse as a serious problem.

Final Words

Wyoming faces one of the nation’s most severe alcohol crises, with 347 annual deaths from excessive alcohol use and a death rate that increased 47.6% from 2015 to 2019. Alcohol is involved in over half of all arrests statewide, with exceptionally high intoxication levels averaging 0.22 BAC for public intoxication cases. Underage drinking costs the state $166.8 million annually, with young drinkers consuming nearly one-quarter of all alcohol sold despite representing a fraction of the population. Nearly 80% of Wyoming residents recognize alcohol abuse as a serious problem, reflecting the widespread impact of alcohol on public health, safety, and the criminal justice system.

Conclusion

In general, Wyoming confronts a dual substance abuse crisis of exceptional severity—ranking 13th nationally for drug problems while simultaneously experiencing one of the nation’s highest alcohol-related death rates. Combined, drugs and alcohol are involved in 70% of all arrests, with overdose deaths increasing 55% in three years and alcohol deaths rising 47.6% from 2015 to 2019. Despite having the nation’s most expensive treatment services, a critical gap persists with 69% of those needing help unable to access care. This public health emergency demands urgent intervention, as nearly 80% of Wyoming residents recognize the severity of the problem affecting families, communities, and the state’s criminal justice system.