Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs in Michigan
According to recent studies, Michigan has the 4th highest rate of substance abuse in the United States. This is in spite of the existence of a wide variety of addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers all through the state, which often provide comprehensive services like detoxification and outpatient and inpatient care to help addicts recover from their disorders.
Today, Michigan is known for its outdoor sporting opportunities, forests, and breathtaking coastlines. In spite of these attractions, however, substance abuse has been a dark threat that has devastated lives in the state.
For communities and individuals grappling with the addiction crisis, there is help available through comprehensive rehabilitation and treatment centers all across the state. These centers continue fighting the dangerous and fatal trend that has been claiming lives in Michigan.
That said, marijuana, heroin and other opioids, cocaine, and alcohol are among the most commonly abused drugs. They are also the main reasons why most people in the state continue seeking addiction rehabilitation and treatment services.
Residents of Michigan also have a wide variety of addiction rehabilitation options for all these substances of abuse - as well as many others. In many cases, they may benefit from services such as inpatient and outpatient treatment as well as medically managed detoxification programs.
Substance Abuse and Addiction in Michigan
As we mentioned earlier, Michigan was ranked 4th across the United States for having the highest overall rates of substance abuse. This rank was 6 spots higher than the one it had the previous year.
Michigan is also like the rest of the United States in the sense that the rates of overdose deaths and ongoing substance abuse have been surging over the past few years.
SAMHSA - or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - reported that 65029 people checked into alcohol and drug rehab centers in Michigan in 2010. This was an increase of a couple of thousand people from 2009. Of the figure from 2010, it is estimated that 37.7 percent were female while the remaining 62.3 percent were male. The same study also showed that admissions into addiction treatment centers for drug only conditions have nearly tripled from 1992 to 2006 in Michigan.
The last year when data was reported for Michigan - 2006 - there were 539 facilities providing substance abuse and addiction treatment and rehabilitation services in the state. The same year, therefore, it is not surprising that the unmet needs for treatment in Michigan were among the lowest in the entire United States for people between the ages of 12 and 17.
Another report from the state released in 2010 also showed that 1 out of every 2 admissions into addiction treatment centers involved people who were also suffering from co-occurring mental health disorders.
Commonly Abused Substances in Michigan
But what are the drugs that have been causing this ongoing substance abuse crisis in the state of Michigan? Read on to find out more about the most commonly used and abused substances in the state:
1. Alcohol
Although general admissions into treatment centers for people struggling with an alcohol use disorder have slightly gone down, a new report has shown that the state saw an increase in the amount of alcohol that was sold to underage residents. In 2010, for instance, 15.9 percent of the total alcohol amount sold in the state was bought by teenagers.
The same year, 26052 people checked into addiction treatment centers with an alcohol use disorder. This number includes people who were struggling with alcohol abuse as well as those who had another substance use disorder involving a secondary drug.
Of all the people who were admitted into rehab facilities in Michigan for an addiction related to alcohol, 23.7 percent had an alcohol use disorder as their main addiction. Another 17.7 percent reported that they had been abusing both alcohol and another secondary substance.
In the same way, new data shows that from 2000, more than 40 percent of all admissions into treatment facilities reported that alcohol was their most frequently misused substance.
2. Cocaine
In 2009, 6064 people checked into drug rehab centers in Michigan while struggling with a substance use disorder linked to cocaine. Today, cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking - as well as the rates of abuse of these substances - continue soaring high with each passing day.
The levels of purity of this drug also tend to fluctuate and range widely from 40 to 90 percent. Additionally, local residents but cocaine in varying amounts - ranging from several kilos to a few grams.
3. Heroin
This is one of the most available drug all through the state of Michigan - particularly in densely populated areas such as Detroit. Heroin that is sold in the state is usually derived from different areas around the globe, including Africa, Mexico, and South America.
That said, more than 11000 people checked into addiction treatment centers citing heroin as their primary substance of abuse. This is not entirely surprising given the high rates at which local residents have been abusing this drug.
4. Marijuana
Michigan borders Canada. In particular, its northern border with this country is increasingly being used to transport indoor-grown marijuana - commonly referred to as BC Bud - into the United States.
This particular strain of marijuana has a higher content of THC - or tetrahydrocannabinol - than that derived from Mexico or grown in the United States. As a result, it is not entirely surprising that the demand for this new strain has been increasing significantly over the past few years. This was clear from the 11275 people who checked into addiction treatment centers in the state citing a substance use disorder linked to marijuana abuse.
5. Prescription Drugs
Today, prescription drugs are a major problem all over the United States. In Michigan, for instance, 8448 people were admitted for an opioid use disorder involving drugs other than heroin.
The demand for OxyContin in the state has also been rising. This increase has also applied to methadone and hydrocodone - which have also seen a rise in rates of diversion and abuse.
In the same way, Michigan residents continue struggling with prescription drug abuse involving medications like stimulants, depressants, and opioids - all of which come with their own uniquely devastating adverse effects.
Statistics on Drug Courts, Fatalities, and Injuries in Michigan
In 2008, Michigan had a total of 84 drug courts. Of these, 32 were adult drug courts, 15 were juvenile drug courts, and 3 were tribal healing and wellness courts, while the remaining 11 were family drug dependency courts.
In 2006, on the other hand, Michigan made 32409 arrests for drug related charges. This number increased to a total of 35120 drug related arrests. By 2009, more than 38,941 people were related for driving while intoxicated on alcohol while another 19233 people were apprehended by law enforcement officials for violations of liquor laws. Similarly, the state suffered 246 alcohol impaired traffic fatalities the same year.
In 2007, on the other hand, Michigan lost 1542 lives to drug abuse. This number was higher than those who lost their lives to motor car accidents and firearm related incidents the same year. Driving while intoxicated on drugs also caused 41 deaths in the state.
The same year, local and state authorities in Michigan as well as the Drug Enforcement Agency reported that they had encounter 174 methamphetamine laboratories. By 2009, this figure soared to 679 incidents.
In 2007, also, Michigan law enforcement officials made 16512 arrests for the possession of marijuana. An additional 3000 arrests were linked to the sale of this drug. These arrests linked to marijuana accounted for a total of 56 percent of all drug related arrests in the state - which was way above the total national average in the rest of the United States.
The Opioid Crisis in Michigan
The rates of overdose deaths in Michigan continue rising by the day. Most of these tragic deaths are linked to the ongoing opioid epidemic that has been plaguing the entire country over the past few years.
In Michigan, drug overdoses were linked to the greatest number of accidental or injury deaths. On the other hand, overdose deaths related to opioid abuse were 13 times higher by 2015 than they had been in 1999. This number continued rising in 2016.
Other records in the state showed that there was a simultaneous increase in the number of deaths related to opioids. Consider the following:
- In 1999 there was 1 death per 100,000 people
- In 2015 there were 13.2 deaths per 100,000 people
- In 2016 the state suffered 18.5 deaths per 100,000 people
Addiction Treatment in Michigan
To reduce the rates of substance abuse, Michigan has been running a number of drug prevention, education, and treatment programs, including:
- The Governor's office authorized a standing order to allow pharmacists to distribute Narcan (naloxone) to people without prescriptions
- The office of the Attorney General of Michigan announced a popular public awareness campaign designed to deal with the methamphetamine problem in the state
- The state passed Good Samaritan Laws in 2016
If you are struggling with a substance use disorder, you should also choose from the many addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers in Michigan to help you find full recovery and relief in the long term.
