Statistics on Veterans and Addiction

If you are a Veteran who’s struggling with substance misuse, or you know one who is, you should know that you’re not alone. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Veterans often struggle with substance misuse more than members of the general population.¹

This article will help you understand statistics related to Veterans drug and alcohol addiction, as well as provide addiction resources for Veterans and help you find treatment near you.

Statistics on Substance Use Disorder and Veterans

Addiction, which is diagnosed as a substance use disorder (SUD), is relatively common among Veterans.

• The NIDA reports that more than 1 in 10 Veterans has been diagnosed with SUD, which is slightly higher than in the general population.¹
• According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 3.6 million Veterans aged 18 and older had a past year SUD.²
• A survey by the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute explains that post-9/11 Veterans have higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders than pre-9/11 Veterans.³

Veterans’ Alcohol Use Disorder Statistics

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used substances by both active-duty military members and Veterans, as evidenced by the following statistics.¹

• The RAND survey (mentioned above) found that, in the past month, nearly 25% of Veterans reported binge drinking (defined as 5 or more drinks for a man or 4 or more drinks for a woman within a 2 hour time period).^3,4
• The 2021 NSDUH reports that 2.4 million Veterans had an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the past year.²
• The 2018 Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey of Active-Duty Military Personnel (HRBS) reports that more than 1/3 of service members reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, and nearly 10% met criteria for heavy drinking (defined as 5 or more drinks per day or 15 or more in a week for men or 4 or more drinks on a day or 8 or more drinks in a week for women).^4,5

Veterans’ Drug Addiction Statistics

Drug addiction, described as a drug use disorder by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, is also prevalent in active-duty military and Veterans, but less so than AUD.^1,2 How common is drug addiction in Veterans?

• The 2021 NSDUH reports that 1.7 million Veterans had a past year drug use disorder.²
• The RAND survey (mentioned above) explains that post-9/11 Veterans consistently display higher rates of all substance use compared to pre-9/11 Veterans.³
• The NIDA reports that rates of illicit drug use are relatively low among active-duty service members and have actually decreased in recent years, based on data from the 2015 HRBS compared to the 2011 survey.¹
• The 2022 Health of the Force (HOF) report indicates that 3.3% of soldiers had an SUD diagnosis in 2021.⁶

Statistics on Mental Health and Veterans

Certain mental health conditions can be common among veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, although these rates are not always higher than those found in the general population.^7,8

• According to a study by the Veterans Health Administration (VA), 11% of Veterans reported elevated rates of depression, compared with 12.8% of non-Veterans.⁸
• The same VA study reports that 9.9% of Veterans reported elevated levels of anxiety, versus 12.3% for non-Veterans.⁸
• Vietnam Veterans were more likely to display increased anxiety and depression when compared to World War II or Korean War Veterans.⁸

PTSD and Addiction Statistics

PTSD is a condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event, resulting in various symptoms such as sleep problems, anger, nightmares, jumpiness, and substance misuse.⁷ Due to the nature of their work and their increased likelihood of exposure to trauma, including witnessing the death or injury of someone else or killing another person in combat, Veterans can have an increased rate of PTSD.⁷

Prevalence rates of PTSD in Veterans can vary by study and time period. For example, one study stated that Veterans have a rate of PTSD that is 15 times higher than that found in civilians.⁷ However, the VA reports that PTSD is only somewhat more common among Veterans than civilians, with 7 out of every 100 Veterans developing PTSD at some point, compared to 6 out of every 100 adults in the general population.⁹

The VA also indicates that more than 2 out of every 10 Veterans with PTSD also has SUD, and around 1 out of 3 Veterans seeking treatment for SUD also has PTSD.¹⁰ The link between PTSD and addiction isn’t entirely clear, but sometimes, Veterans may use substances to ease their PTSD symptoms, and at the same time, the use of certain substances can also make PTSD worse.¹⁰

Suicide Among Veterans

Suicide can affect anyone, but studies have indicated that Veterans are more likely to end their own lives compared to civilians.¹¹ In fact, the NIDA indicates that suicide rates among Veterans are far higher than among civilians.¹ Rates have also increased in recent years—in 2021, 6,392 Veterans died by suicide, which was a significant increase of 114 suicides from 2020.¹²

Suicidality in Veterans is often preceded by substance use, with the NIDA reporting that around 30% of Army suicides and over 45% of suicide attempts since 2003 involved alcohol or drug use.¹ Additionally, women Veterans are reported to be twice as likely to attempt suicide than male Veterans and are about twice as likely to die by suicide than their civilian counterparts.¹³

Statistics on Female Veterans and Addiction

Generally speaking, males are more likely to develop addiction than females, with one study indicating that there were 10.5% current AUDs and 4.8% current drug use disorders among male Veterans, compared to 4.8% current AUDs and 2.4% current drug use disorders among female Veterans.¹⁴ The 2023 Health of the Female Soldier report shares that around 2.6% female soldiers had an SUD in 2021.¹⁵

The VA explains that in recent years, more women Veterans are entering SUD treatment, and more than half are seeking treatment related to alcohol use.¹⁶ Despite overall lower rates of addiction than men, female Veterans may be impacted by addiction in different ways compared to their male counterparts. For example, women Veterans may be more likely to suffer from military sexual trauma, which can increase the risk for substance misuse.¹³

Statistics on LGBTQ+ Veterans and Addiction

There is not yet sufficient data on LGBTQ+ Veterans and addiction, and research is still ongoing. However, available reports indicate that LGBTQ+ Veterans have an increased risk of stress, which can be associated with an increased risk of addiction.¹⁷ One study also reports that LGB Veterans experience significantly elevated rates of alcohol misuse, smoking, and other substance use compared to non-LGB veterans and non-Veteran LGB adults.¹⁸

Addiction Treatments and Resources for Veterans

Specialized addiction treatment programming that caters to the specific needs of Veterans can help Veterans start the path to recovery. Depending on your unique needs, you may enter different treatment settings, such as:¹⁹

• Medical detox, where you can undergo drug and alcohol withdrawal comfortably and safely under medical supervision.
• Inpatient addiction treatment, where you live onsite at a rehab and receive 24/7 support and treatment.
• Outpatient programs for drug and alcohol addiction, where you can live at home but travel to a facility on a set schedule for treatment.
• Intensive outpatient programs for drug and alcohol addiction, which is a more supportive outpatient program that offers 9-20 hours of weekly treatment.
• Partial hospitalization rehab programs, also known as high-intensity outpatient programs, which provides 4-8 hours of daily treatment.
• Rehab aftercare, which supports ongoing recovery and can include support groups, individual or group therapy, or sober living.

During treatment, you may receive various therapies and medications, as needed.¹⁹ Veterans with co-occurring disorders should undergo integrated treatment that addresses both the mental health condition and the addiction, as this form of treatment is associated with increased chances of positive outcomes.²⁰ American Addiction Centers (AAC) has specialized programs for Veterans that treat addiction as well as co-occurring disorders, with various levels of care to suit all needs.

VA Drug/Alcohol Rehab and Treatment

The Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S., providing health care services to Veterans, including SUD and mental health care, as well as Veterans insurance coverage for addiction treatment.²¹

Veterans who wish to use the VA’s services should ensure that they are enrolled with the VA’s healthcare plan. If you’d like more information on VA coverage for drug addiction and Veterans health services, or want to enroll in the VA’s healthcare plan, you can visit the VA’s healthcare application website.

Start Your Recovery Today

If you or a Veteran you care about are struggling, you should know that help is available. Treatment for addiction and/or co-occurring disorders can help Veterans safely stop using substances and regain control of their lives.²²

Call us at to speak with one of our admissions navigators, who can help you get into treatment that’s covered by the VA or help you understand insurance coverage for rehab.

You can also use AAC’s online verification tool to check your specific health insurance benefits and locate addiction treatment programs using the Recovery.org directory. No matter how things might seem right now, there is always hope.