Oregon Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs

Oregon has been struggling with different intoxicating and mind altering substances. However, heroin and methamphetamine seem to be affecting the greatest number of people in this state.

Today, drug addiction and alcohol use disorders have been tearing relationships apartment, causing health issues, and leading many to lose their lives in Oregon. In many cases, these life changing effects are tied to opioid and meth abuse.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Oregon

As we mentioned above, heroin and methamphetamine are the most formidable drug threats in this state. After them, other drugs that have been causing problems for residents include:

• Cocaine and crack cocaine
• Controlled prescriptions medications like stimulants, opioid pain relief drugs, and benzodiazepines
• Illicit marijuana
• Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, U-47700, and carfentanil

The most commonly abused prescription medications in Oregon include Ritalin, Adderall, Vicodin, OxyContin, Xanax, and Valium. This is because of the relatively high rates of prescriptions that doctors write for these drugs.

Although the rates of drug abuse continues running high in some of its urban centers including Portland similar rates seem to be climbing even faster in its rural areas. This trend has also been linked to rising rates of overdose death, decreased life expectancy, and higher rates of suicide.

From 2007 to 2008, Oregon was ranked as the first state in the US for its rates of drug abuse in different substance categories. Even so, TEDs the Treatment Episode Data Set reported that 46629 people enrolled into local rehabilitation and treatment centers in 2010.

Still, the state continues raking among the top 10 states for a number of measures of alcohol and drug abuse especially among people older than 12 years as well as those beyond the 26 year mark.

N-SSATS the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services also reported that the total number of addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers in Oregon declined from 232 facilities in 2002 to 224 facilities in 2006.

Over the past 13 years, Oregon has also witnessed a decrease in the total number of treatment admissions that mention cocaine or alcohol as abused drugs. At the same time, however, there has been an increase in the total mentions of heroin and marijuana.

From 2007 to 2008, for instance, the state was rank first for the following drug categories:

• Use of illegal drugs other than marijuana in the past month among people between the ages of 12 and 17
• Use of illicit drugs in the past month among people above the age of 26
• Use of pain relief medications for non-medical reasons in the past year among people between the ages of 18 and 25

For instance, close to 12 percent of all its residents stated that they had used illicit drugs in the month prior to the study. At the time, the national average was set at 8 percent showing just how serious the drug abuse problem is in Oregon.

Commonly Abused Substances in Oregon

But which intoxicating and mind altering substances seem to be having the greatest toll on the residents of Oregon? Consider the following information:

1. Alcohol

14729 people enrolled into addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers citing alcohol as their primary substance of abuse in 2010. An additional 10890 people checked into similar facilities for a primary alcohol use disorder with a secondary substance use disorder.

2. Heroin

The same year, 4218 people enrolled for treatment as a result of abusing and becoming dependent on heroin. Of this number 37.7 percent were female while the remaining 62.3 percent were male. The largest demographic that was abusing this drug included people between the ages of 21 and 25.

3. Marijuana

Other data sources have shown that cannabis is the most commonly cited substance by people who are admitted into addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers in the state. In 2010, for instance, 8014 people enrolled into these facilities for being dependent on marijuana. Of this number, 40.9 percent were between the ages of 12 and 17.

4. Amphetamines

The same year, 6558 individuals entered alcohol and drug rehab centers for abusing amphetamines. Of this people, 50.7 percent were female while the remaining 49.3 percent were male. The largest segment of the population afflicted by this substance use disorder was between the ages of 26 and 30.

5. Prescription Drugs

In 2010 also, 2408 people checked into rehab facilities for abusing opiates other than heroin. Studies show that this number doubled over the past 5 years even as the total population of people who have developed chemical and psychological dependence on prescription medications continues rising across the nation.

Statistics on Drug Courts, Injuries, and Fatalities in Oregon

Drug use was the primary reason that Oregon lost 564 lives in 2007. The same year, 490 people died in motor car accidents while an additional 387 lost their lives in incidents involving firearms.

Similarly, the state has been tied to a wide variety of substance use disorders at rates that are among the highest in the entire country. In 2017, for instance, the Substance Use Disorder Research Committee in Oregon reported the following findings:

• 2 out of every 3 local residents knew at least one addict
• 1 out of every 10 adults in the state was struggling with addiction and substance use disorders
• 1 out of every 15 young people was afflicted by drug and/or alcohol abuse and dependence

In 2016, more than 40,000 residents enrolled into addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs in the state. In spite of these numbers, other studies have shown that only about 11% of all adults in Oregon who are struggling with a substance use disorder were able to get the rehabilitation services that they needed.

Substance Abuse in Different Population Segments

Although substance use disorders continue affecting the entire state of Oregon, some groups seem to have particular challenges and problems that have been complicating their access to ongoing treatment and rehabilitation. These segments of the population include:

• Youth
• Veterans
• LGBTQIA+ people
• Homeless people
• Communities of color (including Native Americans, Latinos, and African Americans)

Only through comprehensive treatment can these people as well as anyone else who has developed a physical, psychological, and chemical dependence on drugs and alcohol improve their health and relationships, protect their lives, and start leading more meaningful and productive existences.

This is why treatment programs in Oregon are tailored to remain sensitive to the unique individual and cultural needs of every patient who enrolls for ongoing rehabilitation.

Substance Related Fatalities in Oregon

Both drug and alcohol abuse are deadly in Oregon as elsewhere in the world. Apart from the risk of sustaining an overdose, you can also develop a wide variety of medical and health problems some of which can turn out to be fatal both in the short and in the long term.

Consider the following statistics related to substance related fatalities in Oregon in 2016:

• The state sustained 141 deaths related to meth, a number that was 3 times higher than the fatality figure for 2012
• Similarly, meth led to more deaths than heroin
• 312 lives were lose to opioid related overdoses in the state
• 1500 people lost their lives as a direct result of alcohol arising from perinatal problems, injury, chronic disease, and acute alcohol poisoning

Addiction Treatment and Prevention Programs in Oregon

But what is the state doing to curb the drug and alcohol menace that has been affecting its residents? Essentially, concerned members of local communities as well as legislators have been liaising to try and reduce the substance abuse problem across Oregon.

Some of the programs that have been formed from these efforts include:

• The Oregon Coalition for the Responsible Use of Medications
• Oregon mORe

Additionally, the state has many alcohol and drug treatment programs designed to provide individualized rehabilitation services to patients who are enrolled into them. These programs often use a combination of therapies and treatments to ensure that addicts as well as their loved ones, friends, and colleagues can start living a balanced, more fulfilling and satisfactory lifestyle.

These centers often provide a comprehensive evaluation and assessment to try and determine the most effective therapies that they can use to meet the unique needs of their clients.

At the same time, treatment provides rely on clinical assessment procedures to help them create highly individualized and customized rehabilitation plans which further increase the likelihood of their patients being able to recover from their substance use disorders and any other problems that they might be struggling with.

This is because every addict often finds that they require unique treatment plans for them to find full recovery and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. In general, however, your plan might include such staples as detox, inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation, and ongoing therapy and counseling, as well as a variety of aftercare services among many others.

If you are struggling with a substance use disorder and/or a co-occurring mental health disorder, know that Oregon has many facilities and programs that can help you recover and turn your life around away from drugs and alcohol. Finding the right center can make a world of difference and even protect your life, health, wellness, and relationships both in the long and in the short term.