Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs in Colorado

The rates of substance abuse in Colorado show that the state has a major problem with methamphetamines and opioids. No way is this problem exemplified more than through the rising cases of fatal overdoses affecting the residents of the state.

Luckily, there are both outpatient and inpatient addiction rehabilitation and treatment centers. Therefore, if you live in Colorado and you need help overcoming your chemical and psychological dependence on mind altering and intoxicating substances, you should be able to find it in one of these centers. They provide healing, therapy, and the opportunity to lead a productive, meaningful, and satisfactory lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol.

Colorado is known for its heavily forested hillsides and beautiful mountain ranges. Other attractions continue drawing in people from all over the United States. In particular, its diverse culture and sprawling urban areas mean that people from every walk of life can have a good time in this state.

Even so, Colorado has not been left behind by the drug problem that has been affecting the rest of the United States. In fact, it has seen higher rates of substance abuse involving a wide variety of drugs - including methamphetamine, prescription opiate pain relief medications, and heroin.

Statistics On Substance Abuse In Colorado

The 2014 TEDS survey showed that the state had more than 1,000 people in every 100,000 admitted into an addiction treatment center citing binge drinking and alcohol abuse as the primary reason why they checked into the center in the first place.

On the other hand, the 2014 BHB (Behavioral Health Barometers) state survey for Colorado showed that more than 353,000 people above the age of 12 abused or were dependent on alcohol in the preceding year.

The same survey reported that close to 268,000 adults above the age of 21 years had reported engaging in heavy or binge drinking in some or all of the years running from 2009 to 2013.

In terms of treatment, therefore, it is not too surprising to see that this state has had its own fair share of addiction programs designed to help those who are dependent on drugs and alcohol get the therapy and rehabilitation services they need to overcome their dependence.

The NSSATS state profile for Colorado for 2010, for instance, found that there were around 437 centers providing substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation programs. These facilities had enrolled close to 40,000 patients.

The same profile showed that 229 of these treatment centers were primarily focused on providing substance abuse treatment - with close to 22,000 people enrolled in them.

Additionally, the state boasted 169 centers that used a mix of substance abuse and mental health treatment services - or provided dual diagnosis treatment. These centers had 15,567 people enrolled or admitted.

On the other hand, Colorado had 385 centers with more than 16,000 people admitted for drug and alcohol abuse problems. Similarly, 7593 people checked into 316 facilities to get their drug abuse problems (only) dealt with while 15473 people enrolled in around 365 rehab centers for alcohol use disorders only.

Commonly Abused Substances In Colorado

But what are the most commonly abused intoxicating and mind altering substances in this state? The BHB reports that more than 117,000 people above the age of 12 abused or were dependent on illicit drugs from 2009 to 2013.

A single day count taken in 2013 revealed that the state had more than 42,000 people seeking treatment for a substance use disorder. The same count showed that 39.7 percent of the people seeking rehabilitation services had both a drug and an alcohol related problem, 21.9 percent had a drug use problem only, and 38.4 percent only had an alcohol use disorder.

Consider the following substances that are commonly abused in Colorado:

a) Marijuana

TEDS reports that between 123 and 164 individuals for every 100,000 sought treatment for a marijuana addiction in Colorado in 2011.

b) Prescription Drugs

TEDS also showed that the rate at which local residents in this state were checking into an addiction treatment facility for abusing and becoming dependent on prescription drugs rose from 23 to 35 persons for every 100,000 (2007) to anywhere between 36 and 77 individuals per 100,000 from 2009 to 2011 (every year).

CODOHS has also reported that in 2012, close to 5.1 percent of the entire population of Colorado abused prescription pain relief medications.

c) Cocaine

From 2009 to 2011, anywhere between 69 and 98 individuals per 100,000 people (each year) checked into a rehabilitation center citing cocaine as their primary substance of abuse.

d) Heroin

TEDS has stated that anywhere between 26 and 106 people per every 100,000 enrolled into a treatment facility for a heroin addiction in 2011. In 2012, 1/3 of all deaths arising from heroin abuse were attributed to users between the ages of 25 and 34.

e) Other Opiates

A 2010 Colorado state survey showed that 1955 people checked into rehab centers for abusing opiates and opioid drugs other than heroin.

According to a Colorado state survey in 2010, 1,955 people entered drug addiction treatment programs for opiates other than heroin.

f) Other Drugs

Treatment programs in Colorado admitted more than 789 people for being addicted to a variety of other drugs in 2010. These substances included unknown drugs, other stimulants, PCP, sedatives, tranquilizers, and hallucinogens.

Drug Court Statistics, Injuries, And Fatalities

Consider the following statistics showing the adverse effects of the growing drug and alcohol problem in Colorado:

• Between 2009 and 2011, drug overdose and unintentional drug poisoning was cited as the 3rd leading cause of death for Colorado residents; the greatest number of accidental poisonings arising from a drug overdose happened among people between the ages of 45 and 54
• In 2009, the Colorado Judicial Branch reported that local adult drug courts served close to 25 percent of the total population eligible for drug court
• In 2015, the Colorado Department of Health reported that most of the unintentional/accidental drug overdoses in the state came about as a result of abusing prescription and illegal drugs
• The NHTSA for 2012 reports that the state saw 472 traffic fatalities linked to alcohol impaired drivers.

The Heroin Problem In Colorado

Colorado is not in the top 10 states known for their high rates of substance abuse. In fact, it slipped to the 12th position in 2018 in the entire United States. Even show, the state has still been waging a war against the opioid problem - a war that is still ongoing.

Prescription opioid pain relief medications and heroin, in particular, continue driving the opioid crisis in the state. Further, the use of carfentanil and fentanyl have been on the rise in the past few years.

The state launched the Heroin Response Work Group. This task force was created for the primary goal of assessing and evaluating the true extent of the heroin issue in the state. It came up with the following findings in its final report:

The total number of fatalities linked to the drug more than double from 2011 to 2015

Between 2010 and 2015, the total number of children who were born with the neonatal abstinence syndrome - a disorder that arises from mothers using opioids while pregnant - shot up by 83%

From 2011 to 2015, the total number of heroin related arrests made in Colorado went up by 525%; during the same time, the seizures of this drug rose by 2035%

The Opioid And Meth Problem

From 2010 to 2015, the state lost 10,552 residents to a drug overdose. Most of these fatalities were as a result of opioid abuse. In the same period, Colorado saw a triple increase in the number of overdose deaths linked to opioid drugs.

By 2017, the total number of overdose deaths linked to drugs continued climbing before reaching its peak with a total of 959 fatalities. Although opioid drugs certainly took a greater share of this number, meth was responsible for the greatest toll.

The same year, for instance:

• Alcohol, cocaine, and benzodiazepines frequently rank highly for substance abuse and overdose related deaths in the state
• Heroin was responsible for close to 20% of all drug related fatalities
• Opioids were linked to more than 50 percent of all these overdose deaths
• The total number of deaths related to fentanyl rose to 75 deaths (or 50 percent)
• The total number of meth related deaths rose to 280 deaths (or 196%)

Addiction Treatment In Colorado

To counter the drug and alcohol scourge, Colorado has a number of outreach and education programs that are designed to reduce the incidence of substance abuse related deaths and addiction in the state. These programs include:

• Rise above Colorado
• The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
• The Colorado Meth Project
• The Heroin Response Work Group

If you are struggling with a substance use disorder related to any drug or alcohol, there are also many addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers in the state. These centers can provide you with the ongoing detoxification and therapy services you need to overcome your addiction and eventually start leading a life free of all intoxicating and mind altering substances.