Over 17,200 individuals received hospitalization due to drug misuse in the year 2022.
ILLEGAL DRUGS AND HEALTH CONSEQUENCES: A DEEP DIVE INTO STATISTICS
Here's a rundown of the health issues connected to illegal substances like Heroin, Cocaine, and LSD. The hospitalizations for problems associated with Cannabis, Tobacco, or Alcohol aren't accounted for.
In the year 2022, roughly ⅔ of the patients who sought treatment for drug-related issues were male, equating to 66%, with 34% being female. Most of the patients treated were between 18 and 39 years old, with 55% falling into this age group, and 8% being below 18 years of age.
The hospital statistics make a distinction between poisonings and acute drug intoxications. The latter primarily falls under the category of psychological disorders and behavioral disorders, causing 95% of treatment cases, which amounted to approximately 16,300 cases in 2022. The remaining 5% or roughly 900 cases were due to poisoning by illegal substances.
There's been a more than double increase in road accidents caused by illegal drugs in the past twenty years. In 2022, the police reported around 2700 accidents related to drug use, causing roughly 3800 injuries or fatalities. Compared to 2002, there were still around 1300 drug-related accidents leading to 1900 injured or deceased individuals.
Crashes resulting from the influence of Cannabis, which was only legalized in 2024, are also included in these statistics. For comparison, the police recorded about six times as many accidents due to alcohol consumption as they did due to illegal drug use in 2022.
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In Germany, Destatis reported 17,200 hospitalizations due to drug misuse in 2022, primarily related to substances like Heroin, Cocaine, and LSD. These statistics do not include hospitalizations for issues related to Cannabis, Tobacco, or Alcohol.
In the same year, illegal drug-related hospitalizations mainly involved males, accounting for 66% of cases, with females making up the remaining 34%. The majority of patients were between 18 and 39 years old, with 55% falling into this age group, while 8% were underage.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS: THE MAIN REASON FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS
The hospital statistics differentiate between drug poisonings and acute drug intoxications. In 2022, 95% of the cases were categorized as acute drug intoxications, causing mental health issues and behavioral disorders, resulting in approximately 16,300 patients. The remaining 5% or around 900 cases were due to poisonings by illegal substances.
Historically, there has been a significant increase in road accidents caused by illegal drugs over the past twenty years, with around 2700 accidents in 2022 resulting in around 3800 injuries or fatalities. Compared to 2002, this number has almost doubled, while drug-related accidents causing 1300 injuries or deaths still occurred.
Cannabis, which was legalized in 2024, is also included in these statistics. In 2022, the police reported around six times more accidents due to alcohol consumption than due to illegal drug use.
In light of the growing issue of drug abuse in Germany, addressing and addressing the root causes of substance misuse is essential to reduce future hospitalizations and accidents related to illegal substances.
