Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs in California

Although addiction and substance abuse still continues to plague California, the rate of drug overdose in this state is somewhat lower than the total national average. This is because of the effective addiction rehabilitation and treatment options available in California to help addicts overcome their conditions and find full recovery.

Even so, addiction has still been devastating the health and lives of the residents of California. Its effects are also felt by friends, family members, and other loved ones. In fact, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for 2015 and 2016 reported that the state had a higher rate of ongoing substance use disorders than the other states in the country.

Statistics On Substance Abuse In California

The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), more than 181,300 people sought addiction treatment and rehabilitation in this state in 2009. The same report showed that close to 9% of the entire population of California reported that they had used illicit drugs within the month prior to the study - which is quite high considering that the national average for the year was at 8%.

N-SSATS - the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services - also showed that the number of rehab centers in California that are certified or recognized by the SSA (Single State Agency) increased to 1820 in 2006 from 1772 in 2002.

Commonly Abused Drugs In California

But which drugs are most commonly abused in this state?

1. Alcohol Addiction

Until the surveys for 2005 and 2005, the rate of alcohol abuse, dependence, and addiction in this state were below or at the total national average. This was true for every age group.

However, the total percentage of the California population above the age of 26 that abused alcohol between 2005 and 2006 placed the state among the top 10 highest in the United States.

Further, more than 23,200 people checked into a rehabilitation center for ongoing addiction treatment as a result of an alcohol use disorder in 2009. The same year, an additional 19832 received treatment for this substance combined with secondary drugs.

2. Cocaine Addiction

TEDS reports that more than 23,200 people sought treatment and rehabilitation services for smoking this drug. An additional 2903 received rehabilitation for ingesting the drug through other modes of use.

3. Heroin Addiction

Of the 28404 people who received treatment and rehabilitation services for dependence on heroin, 30.3 percent were female and 69.6 percent male. The largest group that sought such treatment was between the ages of 46 and 50.

4. Marijuana Addiction

TEDS also reported that more than 34,500 people received treatment for marijuana abuse in 2009. Of this number, 29.5 percent were female and 70.5 percent male. The total number included 50.2 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 years.

5. Amphetamines

Close to 50,000 people underwent rehabilitation for abusing and becoming dependent on amphetamine in 2009. This number included 44.8 percent females and 55.1 percent males. Most of them were people between the ages of 26 and 30.

6. Prescription Drugs

Of those who went for treatment for abusing prescription opioids (excluding heroin), 44.5 percent were female and 55% male. The largest group that was admitted for abusing these drugs were aged between 21 and 25 years.

Drug Court Statistics, Fatalities, And Injuries In California

Drug use was the direct cause of more than 4100 deaths in this state in 2007. This is in comparison to the 4306 who died as a result of motor vehicle accidents and the 3268 deaths linked to firearms.

Drug induced death in this state is at a rate of 11.4 people per 100,000 people - which is lower than the total national rate for the United States of 12.7 persons for every 100,000 people.

In terms of drug seizures, the amount of cocaine that is seized along the southwest border that includes California has been increasing steadily from 2001 to 2010. Although the number of marijuana seizures has been declining, seizures linked to methamphetamine have continued increasing.

That said, the rate of using illegal drugs in this state - both among adults and children - has traditionally been a bit higher than the total average for the United States.

Cocaine use, in particular, is also higher than the total average for the country - especially among people past the age of 12. Luckily, the use of heroin trended lower than the regional and the national average across all age groups.

That said, the state has not escaped the escalating opioid crisis in the United States. Although children in California used less of these medications than those in other states, adults used more than both the national and regional averages.

Rates Of Drug Overdose In California

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) documented more than 63,000 deaths arising from a drug overdose in the United States in 2016. Of this number, more than 4600 occurred in this state.

This is because California has a large number of drug related overdose deaths due to the wide variety of substances that are abused in the state. However, you should also factor in the size of the population.

That said, relative to its population, the overdose deaths in the state have not been increasing in the past few years - at least not the same extent that has been observed in many other states.

West Virginia, for instance, had a large spike in deaths related to opioids - at 52 deaths per 100,000 residents. The same year - 2006 - California just had 11.2 deaths related to drugs per 100,000 residents. Therefore, in comparison to the rest of the United States, the figure for California is the 7th lowest nationally.

The fact that this state has not seen any explosion in the number of overdose deaths linked to substance abuse does not necessary mean that is has avoided the effects of the epidemic.

Response To Addiction In California

California is one of the largest and most populous states. For this reason, the addiction issues that affect big cities like Los Angeles tend to be different from those that affect rural parts of the state.

In fact, parts of this state have been experiencing a drug crisis that is just as serious as that being witnessed in West Virginia. If you were to divide California up, then the parts of the state to the north might be disaster areas hit as bad as West Virginia.

To this end, health professionals and lawmakers have been implementing a wide variety of programs and services designed to reduce or completely eliminate the rates of drug and alcohol abuse all across the state.

Most of the state policies are also considered to be second to none due to their focus on the treatment and prevention of a wide variety of substance use disorders and addiction.

In particular, needle-exchange programs are now commonplace all across California and some of them even provide participants with education and additional information on addiction and how to avoid an overdose.

The state has also been working to improve access to and the availability of Narcan (naloxone) to people who are dependent on and addicted to opioids. This medication has been proved useful in reversing incidents of an opioid overdose.

Addiction Treatment Programs In California

There are many treatment and rehabilitation options in California designed to help people who are struggling with a substance use disorder in this state. For instance, there are many inpatient rehab centers all across the state although you can also find an extensive network of tried and tested outpatient treatment programs.

In many cases, these centers and programs adopt a multifaceted approach in treating the substance use disorders that their patients are struggling with. Most of these treatment providers are also experienced in a wide variety of issues related to addiction to different substances. They also understand the nuances of the psychological and physical symptoms caused by all types of drugs and can provide the right rehabilitation services.

However, it might be to your best interests to work with an addiction treatment professional to create a highly customized and individualized rehabilitation plan. After undergoing thorough screening and assessment, these experts will check your particular needs and help you craft a professional trajectory to your recovery.

At times, healthcare providers can also provide a wide variety of other rehabilitation services, including:

• Addiction treatment therapy
• Drug and alcohol detox
• Dual diagnosis
• Gender-specific treatment
• Inpatient drug rehab
• Medication-assisted treatment
• Outpatient drug rehab
• Specialized addiction treatment

Therefore, if you are struggling with a substance use disorder in California, you should look for the right rehabilitation center based on your particular needs and preferences, and get started on your journey to full sobriety and recovery.