Utah Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs

Although the United States has been grappling with high rates of overdose deaths linked to prescription drugs, Utah is consistently ranked among the top 10 with regards to substance use disorders involving prescription medications.

The Department of Health in Utah, for instance, reported that numbers of overdose deaths linked to drug abuse continue increasing to such extents that the state has been losing more of its residents to this cause than to motor vehicle accidents, falls, and firearms.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Utah

TEDS the Treatment Episode Data Set reports that 14,951 people enrolled into addiction treatment centers in the state in 2010. Of this number, 29.8 percent were female while the remaining 70.2 percent were male.

The NSDUH the National Survey on Drug Use and Health on the other hand reports that the total number of drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation facilities in the state increased from 118 (2003) to 133 (in 2006).

Over the past 15 years, Utah has also experienced a steady reduction in the total number of rehab admissions that mention alcohol as the main substance of abuse. At the same time, however, it has seen an increase in the number of mentions of both heroin and marijuana.

Even so, the largest and sharpest increase was related to the total number of admissions into rehabilitation and treatment centers across the state for methamphetamine addiction.

From 1992 to 2006, the number of rehab admissions related to only alcohol use disorders declined significantly from 56 percent to slightly more than 20 percent. At the same time, the admissions for substance use disorders involving only drugs shot up from 9 percent to 46 percent.

The state has also been witnessing an increase in the number of people needing substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation services from 2002 to 2003. The rates of such needs among people above the age of 12 were ranked among the highest across the United States both in 2004 and 2005 as well as in 2005 and 2006.

At the same time, about 6 percent of all the residents of Utah reported that they had engaged in the illicit use of drugs at some point whereas the total national average was set at 8 percent.

Commonly Abused Substances in Utah

But what substances are frequently abused and misused in this state? Consider the following information:

1. Alcohol

In 2010, 4,030 reportedly checked into addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers with a substance use disorders as their primary complaint. An additional 2,042 people received similar services for a secondary substance use disorder over and above their alcohol abuse and addiction.

2. Heroin

The state has also experienced a rise in the demand for black tar heroin from Mexico especially since 2008. This demand is quite high among both young adults and teenagers in Utah.

The popularity of heroin, however, has been growing across the United States. This is because of the legal restrictions that have been reducing the supplies of prescription medications.

Today, heroin is more readily accessible and is often cheaper than prescription drugs. As such, it is not surprising that 1,983 people received ongoing rehabilitation and treatment for a substance use disorder involving heroin in 2010. Of this number, 30.6 percent were female while the remaining 69.4 percent were male.

3. Marijuana

The same year, Utah admitted a total of 2,394 people into its addiction facilities for marijuana dependence and addiction. The largest group that received such treatment included people between the ages of 12 and 17.

4. Stimulants and Amphetamines

Those who are admitted into addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers in Utah most commonly cited stimulants including methamphetamine as their substance of abuse. In 2010 also, 2,480 individuals checked into these facilities for being dependent on stimulants and/or amphetamine.

5. Prescription Drugs

The abuse of prescription drugs is another major problem plaguing the state especially in the Salt Lake City Region. This area has what has been termed as one of the highest rates of prescription medication abuse and addiction across the United States.

Surveys from 2003 and 2004 have also showed that Utah is among the states with relatively high rates of prescription pain relief medication abuse for non-medical purposes especially among people above the age of 12.

Statistics on Drug Courts, Injuries, and Fatalities in Utah

The outdoor cultivation of marijuana is quite widespread in Utah sometimes even taking place in public spaces and land. Additionally, drug trafficking syndicates have also been expanding their operations to the state.

Drug use was also linked to a total of 546 deaths in the state in 2007 alone. This was higher than the number of lives that Utah lost to motor car accidents a total of 320 and incidents involving firearms a total of 253 occurring the same year.

Additionally, the rates of drug related deaths in the state were at 20.6 deaths for every 100,000 residents a rate that was higher than the total national rates of 12.7 deaths for every 100,000 people across the United States.

Utah is also ranked 7th for the abuse of prescription medications drugs that are reported to cause a great number of people to develop chemical and psychological dependence that eventually gives way to an addiction.

Since 2000, for instance, Utah has witnessed a 400% increase in the total number of deaths linked to the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs for non-medical and recreational purposes.

Other studies show that close to 60 percent of all residents of Utah belong to the CJCLDS or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also known as Mormons. This religion expressly forbids the use of intoxicating and mind altering substances. However, it does not include prescription medications in this rule.

To this end, it is not surprising that a study of the rates of abuse of prescription medications among people following this religion rates that affect the entire state- showed that:

• 10 percent of people with this substance use disorder also had histories of suicidal attempts, behavior, and thoughts; this goes to show the rising incidents of prescription drug abuse among people with a mental heath disorder
• 16 percent of people with this type of disorder had engaged in alcohol or drug abuse at one point or the other in their lifetime; most of these people had also achieved successful recovery but relapsed when they got a prescription for medication that was mind altering and intoxicating
• 61 percent of the residents of the state that had a substance use disorder linked to prescription medications also experienced at least one other physical health condition; most of these conditions were defined in terms of pain which is not surprising considering most prescription opioid medications are designed for pain relief
• 62 % of the people who had a prescription substance use disorder also had a co-occurring mental health disorder
• 65 percent of these people also had long standing alcohol or drug abuse problems that were separate from their prescription drug abuse; some of them claimed that they thought prescription medications were safer to use that street drugs

Other studies have also shed some light into the problem of prescription drug abuse in the state. In the process, the new understanding that is being provided from these studies is applied in a wide variety of ways to help Utah residents overcome their substance use disorders and addictions as well as lower the statistics in the future.

Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation in Utah

The Department of Health in Utah has been working towards dealing with the high rates of opioid use and overdose. In 2014, for instance, a law was passed to allow both physicians and pharmacists to provide naloxone to EMTs and caregivers as well as to anyone who needed the drug but did not have a prescription. The drug is proving useful in saving the lives of people who are overdosing on opioids. It works by reversing the adverse effects of opioid abuse and overdose.

The same year, Utah passed Good Samaritan laws allowing drug users to report potential instances of an overdose. This way, people can call in with a drug related emergency without feeling that they will get in trouble with law enforcement officials. In spite of all these efforts, however, the state has been losing approximately 6 lives every week as a result of drug overdoses.

Today, Utah also has a wide variety of addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers. These facilities are designed to help anyone struggling with a substance use disorder and any co-occurring mental health disorder find relief from all the conditions they are struggling with until they reach full sobriety and abstinence.

Through these programs, more and more people are receiving the addiction rehabilitation services they need to stop relying on drugs and alcohol for their day to day existence.

If you have a drug or alcohol related problem, therefore, you might want to check into one of these facilities or programs. They can help understand this problem, teach you how to deal with it, and provide you with all the necessary supports and therapies you need to get your life back on track.