Oregon Addiction Treatment and Info

Oregon is struggling with drug and substance abuse, and this has been the case for a fair few decades now. Alcohol abuse keeps rising, and opioids have changed the drug and substance abuse landscape in a manner that can only be described as remarkable.

With so many cases of overdosing here, some of which has been fatal, drug and substance abuse is officially classified as an epidemic - one that requires concerted efforts from governmental systems to suppress effectively.

The state is doing a job at coming up with suitable programs to help fight drug and substance abuse and while progress is somewhat streaky, it does appear that the initiatives are shifting things in the right direction.

Addiction in Oregon

This Pacific Northwest state is popular for its stunning Columbia River Gorge, the majestic Mount Hood, and the deeply aesthetic coastal regions. But despite these awesome attributes, drug dependency has been tearing apart relationships, destroying careers and causing major health problems every passing day across the state. In the state of Oregon, these life-altering ramifications are mostly driven by methamphetamine and opioid use and abuse.

Methamphetamine and heroin are the most significant drug threats in the state of Oregon. After these substances, the most prevalent drug threats are:

• Fentanyl and Fentanyl analogues or other synthetic opioids (such as carfentanil, U-47700)
• Controlled prescription drugs (benzodiazepines, opioid painkillers, stimulants)
• Illicit marijuana
• Cocaine (including crack cocaine)

Frequently abused prescription drugs include the likes of Xanax, Adderal, Vicodin, OxyContin, Valium, and Ritalin.

Though drug use and abuse is really high in urban areas such as Portland, the rates of substance abuse have surprisingly risen the fastest in rural Oregon. Higher suicide rates, rising rates of overdose deaths and diminished life expectancy have all been linked to this trend.

Fortunately, there is a variety of addiction programs, treatments and services which are offered in the state. This continuum of care may help an individual achieve their sobriety goals as well as heal the damage that has been caused by addiction.

The Oregon Opioid Epidemic

Oregon is experiencing an epidemic of opioid use disorder, and opioid overdose hospitalizations and deaths, similar to the United States as a whole. From the year 1999 to the year 2014, drug overdose deaths in the United States tripled: 61% of these deaths in 2014 involved an opioid.

In Oregon, opioid-related fatalities also tripled, from 2.1 per 100 000 residents in the year 2000 to 6.5 per 100 000 residents in the year 2015. Much of the increase is attributable to increased opioid prescribing in a bid to treat persistent non-cancer pain.

In 2017, the US Department of Health and Human Services declared opioid overdose a "Nationwide Public Health Emergency" to facilitate a multi-sector response across health care, public health, and safety agencies. The state of states like Oregon contributed greatly to this declaration being made.

In the year 2017, there were over 340 overdose deaths which involved opioids in the state of Oregon — an age-adjusted rate of 8.1 fatalities per 100,000 residents, compared to the national rate of 14.6 deaths per 100,000 individuals.

Spikes were recorded in cases which were related to synthetic opioids other than methadone (with Fentanyl being the main offender) or heroin. From the year 2015 to 2017, fatalities which involved Fentanyl climbed from 34 in 85 fatalities and those involving heroin grew from 102 to 124. Prescription opioid-involved overdose fatalities declined in the same time period, from 30 to 14 deaths and from 198 to 154 deaths respectively.

Oregon providers wrote a mean of 66.1 opioid prescriptions for every 100 residents in 2017, compared to the average national rate of 58.7 prescriptions per 100,000 residents. This is actually the lowest rate in the state since the year 2006, when data became available.

In the past decade, there was an overall drop recorded in the age-adjusted rate of overdose mortalities involving opioid prescriptions. In the year 2017, there were 3.5 deaths per 100,000 residents.

A recent national study revealed a fivefold increase in the incidence of NAS/NOWS between the years of 2004 and 2014, from 1.5 cases per 1,000 hospital births to 8 cases per 1,000 hospital births. This is the equivalent of one baby born with symptoms of NAS/NOWS every 15 minutes in the country. During the same time period, hospital costs for NAS/NOWS births rose from $91 million to $563 million, after adjusting figures to account for inflation.

In the state of Oregon, quarterly rates of NAS/NOWS were recorded and reported in the year 2016. The rates ranged from 7 to 5.6 cases per 1,000 hospital births in the last quarter (this is sourced from Oregon Hospital Discharge Data).

Of the fresh HIV cases in the year 2016, 221 occurred in the state of Oregon. Among males, 14.9% of new HIV cases were attributed to IDU or male-to-male contact and IDU. Among females, 15.4% of new HIV cases were attributed to IDU. There were approximately 19 new cases of acute HCV (0.5 per 100,000 persons) reported in Oregon in 2016.

From the year 2015 to 2016, the rate of prescription opioid fatalities in the state of Oregon declined by 17.0%, from 4.7 per 100 000 residents to 3.9 per 100 000 residents, representing the sharpest decline of any state. During this same time period, the rate of prescription opioid overdose deaths in the country increased by 10.6%, from 4.7 per 100 000 residents to 5.2 per 100 000 residents.

Commonly Abused Substances in Ohio

1. Alcohol

While alcohol consumption is state-regulated, Portland, Oregon rehabilitation centers are presently experiencing an influx of patients who are in need of treatment for excessive consumption of alcohol. In a rising number of cases, alcohol use and abuse is even turning fatal.

According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the most recent statistics available show regular use of alcohol in Oregon remains slightly under the national average. However, the incidents of binge alcohol activity are higher than the U.S. average.

The study showed actual dependence on alcohol use to be more frequent, and actually steadily increasing. It also indicated that the admission rate to Portland Oregon rehabilitation centers in the region increased by almost 4 times during the years of study.

In the state of Oregon today, 16% of all unintentional deaths were either caused or contributed to by the overuse of alcohol. Many of these persons also used illegal narcotics, combining multiple substances in what was ultimately a fatal mix.

An Oregon Public Health study showed these startling statistics from 2015:

• 1,933 Oregonians, or 43 per every 100,000 people, died from alcohol-related causes that year.
• These deaths occurred from chronic diseases, injury, and acute poisoning.
• The rate of death illustrated a 38 percent overall increase in the number of alcohol-related deaths since 2001.

These statistics paint quite a grim portrait of a population which is badly struggling to cope. It also fails to show the sad human pay-off of these deaths on those who were left behind.

2. Prescription Opioids

Oregon was one of the states that were hit the hardest by the national opioid epidemic. From the year 2010 to 2012, the state recorded the highest rate of nonmedical prescription opioid use in the U.S.

Prescription opioid fatalities and hospitalizations have dropped since peaking in the year 2011. However, they still outnumber the overdoses of heroin and hospitalizations in the state. An estimated 140 fatalities were caused by prescription painkillers in the year 2014.

2,408 persons were admitted into rehab for opiates, not including heroin. This number has doubled within the last 5 years as the growing number of people who are dependent on prescription drugs increases nationally.

3. Marijuana

The state of Oregon has been right at the forefront of the legalization of marijuana since the 1960s. The state was early to decriminalize marijuana possession, create a medical marijuana program and to legalize recreational use.

Unfortunately, many Oregon residents now suffer from marijuana dependency. In the year 2014, 13.6% of individuals that sought aid for drug addiction were dependent on marijuana.

The data shows that marijuana is the most commonly cited drug among the primary drug treatment admissions in Oregon. There were at least 8,014 people that went to drug treatment for marijuana addiction in the year 2010. 40.9% of those that were admitted into treatment were aged between 12 and 17 years old.

4. Heroin

There was a reported 4,218 people that went to treatment for heroin dependency. 62.3% of these were male while 37.7% were female. The largest population abusing heroin was made up of people 21-25 years of age.

5. Amphetamines

6,558 residents of the state entered drug and alcohol rehabs for amphetamines in the year 2010. The largest population which abused amphetamines was 26-30 year olds, with 49.3% of them being male and 50.7% being female.

Drug Related Fatalities and Injuries in Oregon

As a direct consequence of drug use, 564 individuals died in the state of Oregon in 2007. This is compared to the number of residents of Oregon that died from motor vehicle accidents (490) and firearms (387) in that same year.

In the year 2016 alone:

• Alcohol was linked to the deaths of 1,500 Oregon residents. Causes of death included acute alcohol poisoning, chronic diseases, injury, and perinatal problems.
• 312 people lost their lives to an opioid-related overdose.
• More people died from using meth than heroin.
• There were 141 meth-related deaths, a number nearly three times higher than in 2012.

Addiction Prevention in Oregon

Legislators and concerned community members have been working together to stem the tide of substance abuse across the state. They have come up with several programs that are geared toward suppressing drug and substance abuse. Here are some of the programs that have been put in place:

a) Oregon Coalition for the Responsible Use of Medications

This group has four main strategies: reduce pills, improve pain management, increase access to treatment and improve public education.

b) Oregon mORe

The goal of this program is to reduce teen alcohol abuse. Oregon mORe educates parents, students and community members on the dangers of alcohol abuse and the importance of prevention.

Addiction Treatment in Oregon

According to the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), there were at least 46,629 people who went to drug and alcohol rehabs in Oregon in 2010. The state has steadily ranked among the highest 10 states for numerous measures of use and abuse of alcohol s well as other substances in two age groupings: age 12 and older and age 26 and older.

According to the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), the number of drug and alcohol treatment facilities has declined slightly between 2002 and 2006, from 232 facilities to the current 224 facilities.

Across the last 13 years, there has been a steady drop in the overall number of admissions which mentioned alcohol or cocaine as an abused substance and concomitant increases in the mentions of marijuana and heroin.

In the years of 2007-2008, Oregon ranked first among all states for rates of use in several drug categories: past-month use of illicit drugs other than marijuana among persons aged 12-17; past-year non-medical use of pain relievers among young adults aged 18-25; and past-month illicit drug use among persons 26 and older. Approximately 12% of Oregon residents reported past-month use of illicit drugs; the national average was 8%.

The programs that follow offer a wide variety of recovery services, including but in no way limited to:

i) Medical Detox

Detox alone isn't treatment, but it is a crucial first step to getting better for people who are dependent on alcohol and other drugs.

When someone with a dependence on alcohol suddenly cuts out drinking, usually within 6-24 hours after their last drink, they might develop withdrawal symptoms. This can even start while they still have alcohol in their blood.

A detox program gives you enough support to guide you through the withdrawal process. This often includes medicine which helps to ease symptoms as well as care for medical and mental health conditions.

Your symptoms may last for a week or more, typically hitting their worst within 24-72 hours. You're a lot more likely to stick with a detox program when you limitless help. This brings us to the second program:

ii) Inpatient Addiction Treatment

Inpatient treatment, also referred to as residential treatment, provides the highest level of rehab services for patients diagnosed with alcohol or other drug addiction. Typically, inpatient drug rehab programs include medical detox services.

Inpatient treatment for drug abuse starts with the clinicians getting a good understanding of the patient's specific situation. The treatment team then evaluates your medical health, your mental health and the chemical use history in order to design an individualized drug and alcohol rehab plan that will work seamlessly for patients. With the patient's permission, the rehab staff may also talk with family members and other professionals that the patient might already be working with, in order to address the needs and challenges in place.

iii) Outpatient Addiction Treatment

An outpatient rehab program offers drug and alcohol treatment sessions that can be scheduled during various times throughout the week. This schedule allows patients to continue with their regular responsibilities and continue living at home, but they are required to check into treatment at their allotted times for counseling and medication.

Some of the most common therapies which are used in addiction treatment are:

• Individual and group therapy
• Family therapy
• Stress management
• Relapse-prevention techniques
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Motivational interviewing

Getting Help

The sooner you are able to access an Oregon rehabilitation program, the sooner you will be able to get back to a normal life of true sobriety and freedom.

CITATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2014_Treatment_Episode_Data_Set_State_Admissions_9_15_16.pdf

https://www.ridgefieldrecovery.com/blog/alcohol-related-deaths-rise-oregon/

https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/Fulltext/2019/05000/Integrating_Public_Health_and_Health_Care.2.aspx

https://www.drugabuse.gov/opioid-summaries-by-state/oregon-opioid-summary

https://www.drugrehab.com/oregon/trends/

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