Perceived Availability of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in the United States from 2015 to 2019

Objective: While data on perceived availability of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) [paLSD] are collected annually in the United States, detailed investigations of recent trends in paLSD have not been published. Therefore, we sought to explore this topic.

Method: Data were sourced from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) administrations. To identify factors associated with paLSD, exploratory multivariable models were constructed for respondents aged 12–17 (adolescents) and for respondents 18 and older (adults). Trends in paLSD among the whole sample and subpopulations were investigated.

Results: Among 281,464 respondents, 13.1% reported LSD was “fairly” or “very easy” to obtain. In adults, higher paLSD was associated with identifying as bisexual, experiencing past year serious psychological distress, higher education, and lifetime use of alcohol, marijuana, or hallucinogens. Negative associations included older age, identifying as Asian or Black, and lifetime stimulant use. In adolescents, unique associations included lower paLSD among males and Hispanic individuals, and higher paLSD with lifetime stimulant use. A small but statistically significant increase in paLSD was observed over the study period, especially among subgroups such as males, bisexual respondents, respondents reporting past year serious psychological distress, and those with hallucinogen use disorder or lower perceived risk of trying LSD. Identifying as Black was associated with a decreasing trend.

Conclusions: While LSD remains widely perceived as difficult to obtain, paLSD is increasing among several subpopulations. Monitoring these trends and identifying associated characteristics may inform targeted harm reduction efforts and public health messaging.