Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs in Nevada

Nevada is widely known for its deserts and casinos. Commonly referred to as the Silver State, it is also home to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lake Tahoe, and the Mojave Desert. It currently has a total population of over 3 million people.

In spite of its varied landscape comprising of deserts, lakes, and mountains, the state still continues struggling with substance use disorders among local residents. For instance, there were more than 2752 cases of drug overdoses from 2010 to 2015. By 2015, it was ranked as the 4th highest state in the entire country in terms of fatal overdoses.

Luckily, there are some rehabilitation and treatment centers in Nevada that are designed to help addicts overcome their conditions and go on to learn more productive, meaningful, and purposeful lifestyles.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Nevada

Although millions of people visit Nevada on an annual basis - since it is one of the most popular destinations in the United States - the state has also been grappling with an expanding drug and alcohol abuse problem. In 2009, for instance, 9909 people checked into rehabilitation and treatment centers in this state. Of this number, 34 percent were female while 66 percent were male.

On the other hand, close to 9 percent of the residents of this state reported using illicit drugs in the month prior to a survey. At the time, the national average was set at 8 percent.

By then, the drugs that were most commonly cited by people who were admitted into a primary drug rehabilitation and treatment center in the state were stimulants like methamphetamine.

From 2007 to 2008, the state was ranked among the top 10 in the country in a number of categories related to substance abuse. These included:

• Illicit drug use in the past month among people above the age of 12 years
• Non-medical use of pain relief medications in the past year among people between the ages of 18 and 25
• Non-medical uses of pain relief medications in the past year among people above the age of 12 years

Additionally, dependence on drugs and alcohol in Nevada has been changing over time across a number of survey years. Even so, the figures are consistently slightly higher than or at par with the rest of the United States.

N-SSATS - the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, for instance, reported that the number of alcohol and drug treatment facilities in Nevada has remained somewhat stable from 2002 through to 2006. During this time, Nevada had 77 addiction treatment centers. Of these centers, 15 provided some form of inpatient or residential rehabilitation and care while 9 facilities had opioid treatment programs.

Commonly Abused Substances in Nevada

Although substance use disorders have now been declared a national problem, states like Nevada continue struggling with addiction to some drugs in particular. Consider the following:

1. Alcohol

The total number of admissions into rehab centers for alcohol use disorders in Nevada have been decreasing over the years. Even so, 2602 people sought treatment for this disorder as their primary problem in 2010. An additional 1520 people were admitted into addiction rehabilitation facilities for alcohol use disorders combined with another secondary substance use disorder.

The CDC - or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - reports that Nevada is numbered among the top 10 American states with high rates of alcohol abuse. In Las Vegas - particularly within the metropolitan area - 25.6 percent of the population reported that they had engaged in binge drinking during a NSDUH (or National Survey on Drug Use and Health) report. This number was higher than the total national average of about 23 percent for the same problem.

2. Cocaine

The Treatment Episode Data Set - or TEDS - also reported that 606 residents of Nevada sought treatment and rehabilitation services after smoking cocaine for some time. An additional 187 people received these services as a result of abusing this drug through other modes of administration.

3. Heroin

It is reported that 888 people received similar services for a heroin use disorder. Of this number, 30.6 percent were female while 69.4 percent were male. At the same time, the largest demographic that entered treatment centers for this type of substance use disorder were between the ages of 21 and 25.

4. Marijuana

In 2010, about 1536 people sought addiction treatment as a result of abusing marijuana. The largest segment of the population that received this form of care was between 12 and 17 years old.

5. Stimulants and Amphetamines

The same year, a total of 1896 people checked into rehab centers for abusing stimulants and amphetamines. Of this population 47.6 percent were male while 52.4 percent were female. Additionally, amphetamines are currently the most commonly cited substances among people being admitted into primary drug rehab centers in this state.

6. Prescription Drugs

Although the abuse of prescription drugs has been on the rise across the country, 545 people checked into addiction treatment centers in 2010 for abusing opiates in Nevada. This figure did not include other drugs like over the counter medications, inhalants, hallucinogens, and sedatives.

7. Other Illicit Drugs

The state is also ranked among the top in terms of the abuse of drugs. In fact, it ranks 3rd out of all the top 5 states with residents who are dependent on and addicted to illicit substances.

A recent report showed that 10.8 percent of all its residents abused illicit substances in 2015. This rate was higher than the total national average (which was set at 9.3 percent). It is also higher than the figures for 2011, which showed that only about 3.45 percent of local residents were abusing or dependent on these drugs. Another report showed that 233000 residents in the larger Las Vegas metropolitan area were using illicit drugs in the year before the survey.

8. Opioids

In 2014, Nevada lost 545 lives to a drug overdose involving opioid drugs and medications. Today, the state is ranked second in the entire country for the abuse of hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (OxyContin).

Statistics on Drug Courts, Fatalities, and Injuries in Nevada

Drug use was the direct cause of 515 deaths in this state in 2007. This number is in relative comparison to the 407 lives that were lost to motor car accidents and the 414 people who died in incidents related to firearms in the same year.

Drug induced deaths in Nevada also average 20.1 deaths for every 100,000 people. This rate exceeded the total national rate of 12.7 deaths for every 100,000 people in the entire United States.

At the moment, Nevada has identified methamphetamine as its biggest drug threat. In 2010, for instance, the Clark County Gang Task Force identified as sized a total of 17 pounds of the drug that was supposed to be distributed in the country. Additionally, the North Nevada Interdiction Task Force interdicted a 19 pound consignment of methamphetamine on the highway heading to Reno, Nevada.

Addiction Outreach, Prevention, and Treatment Programs in Nevada

Today, Nevada has a major drug problem - to such an extent that it is ranked among the leading 10 states in terms of illicit substance abuse in the entire country. These rates are linked to the abuse of heroin, marijuana, Xanax, OxyContin, and Vicodin.

The state has participated in a wide variety of outreach, treatment, and prevention programs to combat this problem. In particular, it has partnered with SAMHSA - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - in a program that is designed to provide treatment, counseling, and support services for substance use disorders.

In the same way, Nevada has a 2-1-1 hotline for residents who require support services in overcoming their dependence on drugs and alcohol. Anyone can call this hotline while looking for resources of addiction.

Further, there is a 24 hour text hotline that allows crisis counselors to connect with people who would like to speak in confidence to someone about substance abuse and addiction.

A number of other agencies have also been working to decrease, prevent, and eliminate the drug and alcohol problem in the state. These agencies include, but are not limited to:

• The Las Vegas Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous
• The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
• The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health

In the same way, there is a prescription monitoring program in Nevada that is designed to monitor the number of schedule IV, III, and II prescription medications that pharmacists and doctors can provide to any individual patient.

Last but not least, Nevada passed its Syringe Access Bill to increase the access of intravenous drug users to clean, sanitary syringes. This is a harm reduction protocol that has been proving effective in the reduction of disease transmission among these at-risk substance users. It also encourages people to seek addiction treatment and rehabilitation services.

Overall, if you are struggling with a substance use disorder, you should know that Nevada has a wide variety of facilities providing rehabilitation and treatment services. You can check into any of these centers to get the recovery care and maintenance programs that you require to help you overcome your addiction and go on to lead a healthier and satisfactory lifestyle away from drugs and alcohol.