Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs in Washington

Although Washington is among the most beautiful of all locations in the United States, it also has a widespread substance abuse problem that has been claiming the lives, livelihoods, and health of its residents.

This is in spite of the numerous addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs that are available in the state to help people struggling with alcohol and drugs overcome their chemical and psychological dependence.

Substance Abuse Statistics for Washington

TEDS the Treatment Episode Data Set published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (commonly known as SAMHSA) reports that 38,086 people enrolled into addiction treatment facilities in Washington in 2010. Of this number, 37.3 percent were female while the remaining 62.7 percent were male.

From 2007 to 2008, the state was also ranked among the top 10 in the US for the rates of drug use in several categories, including for:

• Drug and alcohol abuse among people above the age of 12
• Illicit drug use in the month prior to the survey
• Marijuana use in the month prior to the survey
• The use of pain relief medications for non-medical purposes in the past year

While 10 percent of its residents reported using illicit drugs in the month prior to the survey, the total national average was set at 8 percent showing just how serious the substance use disorder problem in the state has been.

Commonly Abused Substances in Washington

Other studies have also documented the number of admissions into rehab centers in Washington. From these studies, it is clear that marijuana is the most commonly cited substance of abuse among those who enroll for treatment. It is followed closely by stimulants, including but not limited to methamphetamine. Other commonly abused substances in this state include:

1. Alcohol

4,869 people enrolled into addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities citing an alcohol use disorder as their primary condition in 2010. Similarly, an additional 10,960 people received similar treatment for alcohol as their primary substance of abuse combined with another secondary substance.

However, the total number of admissions for alcohol only have been declining from more than 45 percent of all admissions that were made in Washington in 1992 to about 19 percent by 2005.

At the same time, the number of admissions for drugs only have been increasing from 11 percent of all rehab admissions in 1998 to about 27 percent in 2005. Since then, Washington has experienced an increase in the number of people seeking ongoing treatment for comorbid addictions involving alcohol and a secondary substance.

2. Heroin

The same year, 3,584 people enrolled for addiction treatment for abusing heroin. Of this number, the largest group comprised people between the ages of 21 and 25 years.

3. Marijuana

Marijuana is consistently ranked among the most commonly abused substances in the state among people checked into rehab centers. In 2010, for instance, 8,544 people enrolled for substance abuse treatment for being addicted to this drug. Of these people, the largest segment of the population was between the ages of 12 and 17 an age group that took up 46.6 percent of all admissions.

4. Amphetamines

The same year, also, Washington saw 4711 people entering addiction treatment facilities for abusing and becoming dependent on amphetamines. Of this number, 48.8 percent were male while the remaining 51.2 percent were male.

Three years before in 2007, however, about 6,378 people enrolled for similar treatment for being addicted to amphetamines. As such, it is clear that the number of admissions for this class of drugs has been decreasing over the years.

5. Prescription Drugs

In 2010 also, 3,102 people enrolled into addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers for other opioid drugs apart from heroin. Of this number, 53.3 percent were female while the remaining 46.7 percent were male.

Since 2005, however, the state has seen an increase in the total number of admissions into treatment facilities for prescription opiates numbers that continue matching trends at the national level.

Statistics on Drug Courts, Fatalities, and Injuries in Washington

Drug abuse was the direct cause of 1,003 deaths in 2007 in Washington. This number was more than the total fatalities of 649 lives that were lost in motor vehicle accidents and the 548 people who died in incidents involving firearms the same year.

Similarly, the levels of drug induced deaths in the state were at a rate of 15.5 for every 100,000 residents which was higher than the total national rate of 12.7 deaths for every 100,000 people.

That said, the rates of opioid and methamphetamine abuse continue running high in this state. As a direct result, Washington has instituted a number of addiction awareness, prevention, and treatment efforts to try and help more of its residents overcome their substance use disorders or prevent them from starting to use drugs and/or alcohol in the first place.

The Opioid Crisis in Washington

In the recent past, the total number of overdose deaths arising from opioid use disorders have been stabilizing in Washington. Even so, opioid abuse continues claiming many lives in the state.

That said, these overdose deaths have been declining for some years now. Even so, the deaths arising from synthetic opioid and heroin abuse have continued increasing to disproportionate levels.

According to the Department of Health for the state of Washington, for instance, overdose deaths related to synthetic opioids and heroin showed the following figures:

• In 2006, Washington lost 51 lives to synthetic opioid overdose incidents; this was in comparison to the 87 lives it lost to similar conditions in 2016 showing an increase of close to 71 percent during the ten year period
• In 2006 also, the state lost 53 lives to heroin overdoses; this was in stark comparison to the 287 people who died from similar emergency conditions showing an increase of 441.5 percent over the ten year period

That said, ongoing opioid use disorders have been causing the residents of Washington to suffer from a wide variety of other severe medical conditions and problems. In many cases, people who abuse this class of drugs often check into emergency departments for transmissible diseases that they contract from sharing needles while engaging in intravenous substance abuse such as hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. Increasingly, more children are also being born with a neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Rates of Prescription and Illicit Drug Abuse in Washington

The drugs that are abused at extraordinarily high rates in Washington include benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, and Ativan, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine.

In King County, for instance, the rates of overdose death involving these illicit and prescription substances have been getting to extraordinarily high levels. This county also includes Seattle.

The trend has also shown an increase in the number of overdose deaths arising from these drugs. From 2011 through to 2016, for instance, the total number of deaths that were linked to methamphetamine abuse increased by close to 400% in the King County area rising from 20 to 98 fatalities in total.

Methamphetamine continues to be a major problem throughout the state. This is particularly true for people who take these drugs intravenously. The drug is also becoming increasingly popular among those who abuse heroin.

For instance, a report from the University of Washington showed that more than 78 percent of the residents of the state who were using heroin as their primary drug of abuse reported that they had also used meth over the 3 months prior to the study. 52 percent of these people also reported using this drug in combination with their favored heroin.

Addiction Outreach, Prevention, and Treatment in Washington

Some of the initiatives that Washington has been implementing to battle the drug and alcohol abuse menace among its residents include:

1. The Project AWARE Grant

The Project AWARE grant from the Battle Ground Public School has been striving to improve the rates of substance abuse and mental health among students enrolled in state schools.

This grant provides funding to help more people access community-based psychological services. It also supports school clubs that are focused on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse.

2. Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative

On the other hand, the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative which is publicly funded has been working with communities that have the highest need for attention to prevent and reduce the rates of substance abuse. It promotes its services in 39 countries comprising of a total of 9 educational service districts and 52 communities.

3. Syringe Exchange Programs

The high rates of heroin use in the state have led community leaders and government officials to increase awareness campaigns about the dangerous of intravenous substance abuse.

In 2018, for instance, the state had a total of 25 programs for needle and syringe exchange across 18 counties. Through this programs, Washington provides clean and sterile needles to people who take drugs intravenously. The goal of these programs is to reduce the risk of injection drug users from being infected or infecting others with blood borne illnesses like hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.

Last but not least, if you are living with a substance use disorder, you should also know that there are many facilities providing ongoing treatment and rehabilitation services in Washington. Choosing one of these centers can help you get started on the road to full recovery from your addiction.