Which Drug Epidemic Is Next: Meth, Psychedelics, Mushrooms?
Will history repeat itself—or will new synthetic agents shift use patterns?
By Mark S Gold
Published by Psychology Today on December 28, 2024
Key points
• The history of drug use and current data suggest that the opioid epidemic is peaking and stimulants are next.
• The CDC reports that overdose deaths in the U.S. fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024.
• Speedballing, methamphetamine, and cocaine use—and deaths—are increasing. 2,757 tons of cocaiine produced.
• In parallel to psychostimulants, use of psilocybin, “shrooms,” MDMA, LSD, and other psychedelics is growing.
In the United States, there is a distinct tendency for opioid epidemics to be followed by stimulant epidemics. David Musto, M.D., renowned Yale historian of medicine and expert on drug policy, first observed such a pattern of substance use in the U..S and, based on historical analysis, articulated his cyclical theory of drug use in the 1970s, providing a compelling lens for understanding drug trends.
