Minnesota Addiction Treatment and Info

Like the rest of the United States, Minnesota has been struggling with high rates of substance abuse and addiction. Most of these rates are being pushed up by the opioid epidemic being seen across the country. In particular, opioids have been causing a rising number of deaths in the state.

This is in spite of the fact that there are professional addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs in place designed to provide recovery services to addicts suffering from substance use disorders of various types.

Addiction in Minnesota

Minnesota is known for its expansive natural attractions and lakes. Many people here, to this end, are able to enjoy a calm and productive lifestyle with family, friends, and colleagues. However, some are addicted to drugs that continue ruining their lives in various ways.

The main populations affected by the substance abuse crisis in the state include Native Americans, young adults, and males. This is also the case with people who live within the northeastern area of the state.

Most of these substance abusers are addicted to opioids, which have been sweeping across the United States. In particular, the high rates of opioid abuse and addiction are driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, as well as by prescription pain relief medications and heroin.

However, these are not the only substances of abuse being reported in the state. In fact, benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium, cocaine, and psychostimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine are also popular in Minnesota.

From 2000, the state has been experiencing an increase of more than 5 times in the number of drug overdoses that turned out to be fatal. Although drug overdose and abuse continue derailing the lives of everyone they affect, they seem to be particularly problematic among certain segments of the local population.

For instance, in 2018, a legislative report was released showing that Native Americans in the state had 5 times as high a likelihood as Caucasians to lose their life in a drug overdose. African Americans, on the other hand, had 2 times as high a likelihood as Caucasians to suffer the same fate.

Although many addictive substances can lead to a drug overdose, there are some that have a higher likelihood of leading to a fatal outdoes. The Department of Health has, to this end, listed cocaine, benzodiazepines, psychostimulants, heroin, and other opioids as the drugs that were causing the greatest number of overdose fatalities in Minnesota.

This number had been increasing such that by 2016 the following figures were reported in the state:

• Benzodiazepines were involved in 103 deaths
• Cocaine was associated with 44 fatalities
• Heroin was linked to 150 deaths
• Opioids were linked to 395 fatalities
• Psychostimulants were linked to 140 deaths

The Minnesota Opioid Epidemic

Like much of the United States, Minnesota has not been spared by the ongoing opioid crisis. Deaths linked to this class of drugs, for instance, rose by 18 percent between 2015 and 2016. This rising number was due to the increase in the rates of death linked to synthetic opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl as well as illicit heroin. During this time, the following figures were reported:

• Deaths arising from synthetic opioids like tramadol, carfentanil, and fentanyl increased by 83 percent
• Drug overdoses linked to heroin increased by 32 percent

Deaths associated with prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and methadone were stable over this period of time. However, it is still important to mention that these drugs - even though they are medications - can be just as dangerous even when they are being taken exactly according to instructions from a doctor.

Research studies have now estimated that the rate of overdose fatalities in Minnesota will continue rising by as much as 37 percent within the coming decade. This is because many people are abusing prescription pain relief medications and illicit opioids like heroin - a trend that continues climbing each year.

Commonly Abused Substances in Minnesota

Apart from opioids and psychostimulants, there are many other substances of abuse that are popular among the residents of Minnesota. These substances include but are not limited to:

1. Alcohol

Minnesota was ranked in the 6th position in the United States by a 2018 USA Today article in terms of the highest rates of alcohol abuse and addiction. This was mostly due to the rates of excessive alcohol consumption reported in the state.

That year, for instance, more than 21 percent of local residents responded in a survey that they had engaged in heavy or binge drinking at least once in the month prior to the study. At the same time, the national averages were set at about 18 percent.

Although alcohol is a legal drug, it can still lead to many negative outcomes. Abusing this substance can cause you to develop tolerance, dependence, and addiction. When this happens, you will find yourself engaging in harmful patterns of substance abuse. Consider the following figures relating to the rates of alcohol abuse in Minnesota:

• 5.5 percent of people above the age of 18 years in the state struggled with an alcohol use disorder - or alcohol - the year before the study
• Close to 25 percent of the motor car accidents reported in Minnesota are caused by alcohol impaired drivers
• Each year, excessive alcohol consumption led to the death of 1257 people
• Of the 286000 people above the age of 12 who were dependent on or abused alcohol in 2015, only about 22000 - about 7.2 percent of this number - received professional treatment services
• The cost of alcohol abuse to the state has been ranging from $3.5 to $5 billion each year
• The state was ranked in the 5th position in terms of the rates of binge drinking among its residents

Minnesota was among the states that had the highest rates of unmet needs for addiction treatment among people who were addicted to alcohol. in 2010, however, a total of 12099 people were enrolled in a professional addiction recovery program with a primary alcohol use disorder. Another segment of 9463 people received similar services for abusing alcohol with another secondary substance of abuse.

2. Cocaine

The same year, 2191 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation center in the state for abusing cocaine. Three years before in 2007, close to 5000 people received similar treatment services.

In 2010, 2,191 people entered treatment and were admitted to treatment for cocaine abuse. This figure is down from 4,816 people admitted for treatment in 2007.

3. Heroin

Heroin is a popular drug especially among people who are unable to access the prescription drugs that they were addicted to. This is because it is widely available and at a lower cost than most of the prescription opioid pain relief medications that most people first get addicted to before turning to heroin.

In 2010, more than 2350 people were admitted into an addiction recovery and treatment program in this state for abusing heroin and developing a severe opioid use disorder as a result.

4. Other Opiates

Prescription opioids are also commonly abused in Minnesota. In 2004, a total of 1363 people were admitted into drug rehab programs for abusing this class of medications. By 2010, this number had increased to a total of 4580 patients. Most of these people were between the ages of 21 and 25 years.

5. Marijuana

In 2010, marijuana was the substance that was most commonly cited by people checking into an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program in this state. That year, for instance, 9543 people checked into drug rehabs across the state for abusing marijuana and becoming dependent on it.

Of this number, 76.7 percent were male while the remaining 23.3 percent were female. These numbers have been rising but only slightly since those that were reported in Minnesota in 2000.

6. Methamphetamines and Amphetamines

The total number of addicts who require treatment due to abusing and developing addiction to amphetamines and methamphetamine continue rising. By 2003, a total of 1022 people enrolled in drug rehabs across the state for being addicted to amphetamine. Four years later in 2007, this number had increased to 7159 admissions.

Drug Related Fatalities and Injuries in Minnesota

In 2007, the total rate of fatality linked to drugs in this state was half that reported at the national stage. This was according to figures from the NSDUH - the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

That year, drugs were responsible for a total of 359 deaths in Minnesota. At the same time, motor car accidents caused 618 fatalities while incidents involving firearms led to the death of 344 people.

The previous year in 2006, the state arrested more men than women for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. these figures amounted to 22.3 percent of female drivers versus 68.7 percent of male drivers. Most of these arrests involved people between the ages of 20 and 24 years.

In 2007 also, the Office of Traffic Safety run by the Department of Public Safety reported that a total of 38,635 arrests were made in the state. Although this number was a slight decrease from previous years, it was higher than that reported at the national stage.

Addiction Prevention in Minnesota

As we mentioned above, there are many substances of abuse in this state. Although alcohol leads the pack, it is closely followed by methamphetamines. Further, Minnesota has been grappling with the opioid epidemic that is sweeping across all of the United States. All these drugs problems have forced the state to focus on addiction prevention and reduction.

For instance, Minnesota has been fighting against opioids and other types of addictive substances. It has been doing this through the following programs:

• The Minnesota Prevention Resource Center
• Increasing access to naloxone (or Narcan) among people who have a high risk of suffering an opioid drug overdose

Addiction Treatment in Minnesota

The state has had a relatively stable number of facilities offering addiction treatment and rehabilitation services to local residents since 2002. By 2007, Minnesota had a total of 263 such facilities.

Three years later in 2010, a total of 50830 people enrolled in these programs to get help overcoming their substance use disorders and managing their co-occurring mental health and medical disorders. Of this number, 33.2 percent were female while the remaining 66.8 percent were male.

Irrespective of the type of substance use disorder that you are struggling with, there are some common forms of addiction treatment that can help you achieve a state of sobriety. In Minnesota as in the rest of the United States, the following are these type of drug and alcohol recovery programs:

i) Medical Detox

If you have been using drugs for a long time, you would have developed tolerance to their effects. As a result, you may have found yourself taking these substances in higher doses or more frequently than you used to do in the past.

When you check into an addiction treatment program, the first step in your recovery would involve the provision of medically managed detoxification services. The goal of these services is to help you overcome your physical dependence on the drugs that you were abusing, as well as manage any withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings that arise during this process.

ii) Inpatient Drug Rehab

Once you have completed the detox program successfully, you will be required to go for either inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment. these programs offer similar recovery services. However, in an inpatient treatment program, you would be living at the recovery facility during the course of your rehabilitation.

iii) Outpatient Drug Rehab

In an outpatient addiction treatment program, on the other hand, you can continue living at home or in a sober or transitional living facility. Then, you can visit the recovery center several times every week to get help with your addiction.

Irrespective of the type of rehab you choose, the following are some of the therapies that you may be able to enjoy in Minnesota:

• 12 step support group meetings
• Adventure therapy
• Aftercare programming
• Art therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Dual diagnosis addiction treatment
• Equine therapy
• Gender specific therapy
• Holistic therapies like yoga, acupuncture, and massage
• Medication assisted treatment
• Mindfulness meditation
• Motivational interviewing
• Music therapy
• Sober living facilities
• Specialized drug rehab
• Stress management
• Wilderness therapies

Getting Help

The important thing is to ensure that you check into an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program as soon as you realize that you have an alcohol or drug abuse problem in Minnesota.

CITATIONS

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/healthimprovement/content/documents-opioid/2016DrugOverdoseDeathReport_Final.pdf

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.leg.state.mn.us/docs/2018/mandated/180168.pdf

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

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/Minnesota_BHBarometer_Volume_4.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

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/08/these-americas-drunkest-states/406342002/

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