The medical community doesn’t fully understand drug addiction causes, but researchers have identified factors that may influence your addiction risk. Some drug addiction statistics can explain why one person can use a drug recreationally without becoming addicted while another cannot.

40% to 60% of addiction risk is genetic. Environmental and peer factors also influence this risk. When family members struggle with addiction, children may face a higher risk of future drug abuse.

Experimenting with drugs young increases addiction risk due to their impact on developing brains. Methods like injecting or smoking drugs raise addiction risks. These faster delivery methods can produce a stronger high, but the effect fades quickly, leading to more frequent use.

Having the following mental illnesses increases the risk of developing drug addiction by these rates:

• Intermittent explosive disorder: 6.3 times

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: 5.2 times

• Bipolar disorder: 5.1 times

• Any disruptive behavior disorder: 4.6 times

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): 3.9 times

• Oppositional defiant disorder: 3.9 times

• Antisocial personality disorder: 3.8 times

• Any anxiety disorder: 3.5 times