Arizona Addiction Treatment and Info

Although there are many different substances of abuse in Arizona, it seems that methamphetamine, alcohol, and opioids are the main drugs that have been destroying the lives of local residents.

This is in spite of the fact that the state has several professional addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs. These programs offer both outpatient and inpatient recovery services, and they can help you overcome your substance use disorder, as well as manage any other co-occurring medical or mental health disorders that you may also be struggling with. Read on to find out more:

Addiction in Arizona

The entire breadth and span of the United States has been struggling with a growing substance abuse and addiction crisis. In 2014, for instance, it was estimated that more than 21 million Americans were living with a substance use disorder. Some of these people live in Arizona.

In 2017, for instance, Doug Ducey the governor of Arizona declared a public health emergency across the state as a result of the increase in the total number of fatalities linked to opioids.

Additionally, the Department of Health Services in the state reported that:

• Heroin was responsible for more than 54 percent of all the opioid related deaths in this state
• It is estimated that opioid overdose fatalities might go above the 1000 mark by 2020
• Opioids were responsible for 790 deaths in 2016, which was an increase in 74 percent from the number of fatalities reported in 2012

NIDA - the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that most of the admissions in a drug and alcohol addiction treatment program in Arizona in 2013 were linked to alcohol. They were closely followed by methamphetamines. In numbers, the following are the total number of admissions in these facilities in the state:

• Alcohol: 27 percent
• Cocaine: 4 percent
• Marijuana: 17 percent
• Methamphetamine: 23 percent
• Morphine and heroin: 19 percent
• Other opioids: 8 percent

Commonly Abused Substances in Arizona

1. Alcohol

In 2009, the Substance Epidemiology Profile for Arizona reported that binge drinking among people aged between 25 and 34 years had increased by more than 10 percent from 2006 through to 2009.

In 2010, a total of 3974 people enrolled in a recovery center for abusing alcohol only. An additional 2229 people received similar services for abusing alcohol with another secondary substance.

2. Amphetamines

The same year, a total of 2824 people checked into a recovery program in Arizona for abusing amphetamines. Of this number, more than 54 percent were female while the remaining 45 percent were male. Among these patients, the largest population was comprised of people aged between 26 and 30 years old.

3. Cocaine

In 2010, figures reported from addiction treatment centers in Arizona showed that a total of 445 people were enrolled in one of these programs for smoking cocaine. An additional 344 people received similar services for ingesting the substance through other routes of administration.

4. Heroin

The same year, a total of 2492 people received help from a drug rehab center for abusing heroin. Other figures reported that 30 percent of all residents of Arizona aged between 21 and 25 years were abusing these substances and checked into a rehab facility for the same.

5. Marijuana

Arizona also reported that 2773 people enrolled in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program in 2010 for abusing and becoming dependent on marijuana. Of this number, more than 29 percent were aged between 21 and 25 years.

6. Prescription Drugs

In 2010, 2399 people enrolled for addiction recovery services in Arizona for abusing other and unknown drugs. this was according to the TEDS - Treatment Episode Data Set - for that year.

Drug Related Injuries and Fatalities in Arizona

In 2007, the state lost a total of 981 lives to a drug use incident. This was in comparison to the 1104 lives that it lost to motor car accidents and the 951 that were lost to incidents involving firearms.

The rate of fatalities induced by alcohol reported between 2000 and 2007 also doubled while the state saw a steady increase in the total number of marijuana seizure reported from 2001 through to 2010.

Between 2004 and 2007, there was a steady decline in the number of meth seizures in Arizona. However, this figure started climbing in 2009. During this time also, however, the rates of cocaine seizures drastically climbed before dropping gradually and leveling off. This was according to 2011 reports from the NSS - the National Seizures System.

Of all the marijuana seizures reported in the American southwestern border, 42 percent were in Arizona. This state was also responsible for 56 percent of all cocaine seizures as well as 42 percent of all heroin seizures. By 2008, the state experienced an increase of 90 percent in the volume of heroin seized here.

Drug Related Crime in Arizona

The American Friends Service Committee also collected data relating to the rates of drug involved crimes in the state. According to this research study, the following findings were reported:

• Arizona spends more than $600,000 every day to house people who have been charged and imprisoned for a drug related offense
• Arrests linked to drugs were the largest segment of all offenses that were tried in the state
• More than 21 percent of all prisoners in the state were in the position that they found themselves in for committing a drug related crime
• On average, each person who is incarcerated for committing a drug related crime spends about $24,000
• The rate of recidivism for drug related crimes in Arizona is above the 50 percent mark
• The state has the 5th highest rate of incarceration in the entire nation

Addiction Prevention in Arizona

The state has been taking steps to address and reduce the rates of substance abuse and addiction among its residents. These steps involve community awareness programs, the provision of overdose reversal medications, and needle exchange programs.

a) Community Awareness Programs

There are several programs in Arizona designed to increase the level of drug awareness among local residents. Examples of these programs include DrugFreeAZKids.org, 211 Arizona, and the Parents Commission on Drug Education and Prevention of Arizona.

b) Naloxone Provision

The Department of Health Services of Arizona has provided more than 20,000 doses of Narcan (naloxone) to first responders in the state. These responders include law enforcement officials with the right training on how to administer the drug to people who are struggling with an opioid overdose.

c) Needle Exchange Programs

The state introduced a bipartisan bill in its senate in 2018. The goal of this bill is to allow various organizations to start and run needle exchange programs in the state. Through these programs, Arizona hopes to decrease the rates of transmission of various blood-borne illnesses as well as the medical hazards that often result from needles that are improperly discarded.

Addiction Treatment in Arizona

In 2010, a total of 18572 people checked into an addiction treatment and rehabilitation center in this state. Of this number, 40 percent were female while the remaining 60 percent were male.

Four years earlier, the state had a total of 212 programs offering addiction recovery services to people struggling with substance use disorders. Of this number, 53 offered inpatient or residential treatment while 26 centers had an opioid use disorder treatment program.

Other figures report that the total number of people checking into a drug rehab center for alcohol addiction has been dropping from 1995 onwards. During this time, however, the number of admissions for drug abuse have been increasing. They rose from 15 percent in 1998 to 27 percent by 2005.

There are various addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs in Arizona. The goal of these programs is to help patients overcome their substance use disorders as well as manage any other co-occurring medical and mental health disorders that they may also be struggling with over and above their addiction. Examples of these programs include:

i) Addiction Intervention

Addiction intervention services are useful if you have a loved one who is struggling with a substance use disorder. Through these professional services, you can get an intervention to come and help you set up and run an intervention.

During this meeting, you will talk to the substance using loved one about their habits and actions when they are intoxicated. You will also be able to use the opportunity to convince them to check into a pre-selected addiction recovery center.

ii) Drug and Alcohol Detox

Medical detox is the process by which the body gets rid of all the substances that you were abusing - as well as the toxins that still remain lodged in it. The goal of this process is to help you overcome your physical dependence.

When you get started on your recovery journey, you may experience some painful or even life-threatening withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. Through a medically managed detox program, you can overcome these symptoms and achieve full physical stability so that you can start working on the other facets of your recovery.

iii) Inpatient Drug and Alcohol Rehab

In an inpatient drug treatment program, you would have to move into the recovery center for any period of time between 30 and 90 days, or even longer. During this time, you will work on overcoming your substance abuse and addiction, as well as managing any other co-occurring disorders that you have been diagnosed with.

Through this type of program, you will be able to live at the treatment facility so that you can focus on your long term recovery. This will allow you to benefit from a highly structured environment, round the clock medical support, as well as a wide variety of recovery therapies.

iv) Outpatient Addiction Treatment

In an outpatient drug rehab, you will enjoy most of the services that you would typically be able to receive in an inpatient or a residential drug and alcohol rehab center. The only difference is that you will not be required to live at the recovery center.

Instead, you can continue staying at home or move into a sober living environment. However, you will be required to check into the outpatient facility for a couple of hours every week so that you can work on your long term recovery.

v) Sober Living Facilities

There are many sober living centers in Arizona. These drug free environments offer residential services that would be useful if you need to continue working on your recovery during your outpatient treatment or immediately following your hospitalization in an inpatient drug rehab center.

vi) Aftercare Services

Aftercare services are widely varied. They include such options as alumni programs and 12 step support groups. You can also go for ongoing therapy and counseling as part of your aftercare program.

vii) Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Finally, if you have been diagnosed with addiction as well as one or more co-occurring mental health and medical disorders - such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder - it might be in your best interests to go for dual diagnosis treatment.

This form of treatment will address all the facets of your substance abuse while also helping you manage and eventually overcome all the co-occurring disorders that you are also struggling with.

When someone experiences a mental illness and a substance use disorder simultaneously, it is known as a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. Either disorder can develop first, but effective treatment must address both, each in context of the other.

viii) Specialized Addiction Treatment

Finally, Arizona has a number of specialized addiction treatment programs offered on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. These programs include gender specific centers, medication assisted programs, trauma informed care, and many more.

While enrolled in any drug and alcohol rehab center in the state, you may be able to enjoy the following types of addiction treatment services and therapies:

• 12-step support groups
• Acupuncture
• Biofeedback
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Equine therapy
• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Journaling
• Motivational interviewing
• Yoga

Getting Help

If you have been abusing any intoxicating substance - whether it is a legal drug like alcohol and prescription medications or an illicit substance such as cocaine - it is recommended that you check into an addiction treatment center in this state or outside so that you can get started on the road to full recovery and sobriety. The sooner you are able to do this, the easier it will be for you to overcome your substance abuse in Arizona.

CITATIONS

https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/audiences/clinicians/clinical-guidelines-recommendations/prescribing-guidelines/arizona-opioid-report.pdf

https://www.azdhs.gov/prevention/womens-childrens-health/injury-prevention/opioid-prevention/index.php

https://www.carnevaleassociates.com/our-work/emerging-drug-trends-prevention-issue-brief.html

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/DIR-032-18%202018%20NDTA%20final%20low%20resolution.pdf

https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/news-statistics/emerging-drug-trends

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234579/

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf

https://www.shadac.org/publications/50-state-analysis-drug-overdose-trends-evolving-opioid-crisis-across-states

https://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/2.0_Drug_statistics_and_Trends.pdf

For more information about treatment centers in Arizona, Click Here.