Millennium Health Signals Report™ 
The COVID-19 Connection:
Tracking 2020 Trends in Drug Use

Shifts in Illicit Drug Use Heighten the COVID-19 Health Crisis

This report includes an analysis of our proprietary database of definitive urine drug test results for non-prescribed fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, comparing pre-COVID-19 (March 13, 2019 – December 31, 2019) and COVID-19 (March 13, 2020 – December 31, 2020) time periods. 

Section 1 findings reveal that during COVID-19:

  • Nationally, fentanyl and methamphetamine, increased 78% and 29%, respectively
  • Fentanyl increased significantly in all U.S. census divisions, led by increases in the Pacific division. Four Pacific states (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and California) more than doubled their fentanyl positivity
  • Methamphetamine increases were led by the New England and Mid Atlantic divisions
  • After initially increasing, cocaine and heroin appear to have fallen below March 13, 2020 levels

Other sections in the report include:

  • The Collapse of Carfentanil
  • An Evaluation of Pain Medication Misuse in the Midst of the Pandemic
  • Methadone Maintenance: Unexpected Findings Raise Risks