Michigan Addiction Treatment and Info

The rates of substance abuse and addiction in Michigan put the state in the 4th position across the United States. This is in spite of the fact that there are many high quality addition treatment and rehabilitation programs throughout Michigan.

Addiction in Michigan

Located in the Great Lakes, Michigan offers forested areas, wonderful coastlines, and outdoor sporting opportunities. As a result, many people here live a lifestyle of active happiness.

However, there are also some people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. these people often do not enjoy all the amazing opportunities that the state has to offer. Instead, they find themselves spending most of their waking moments looking for, abusing, and recovering from the abuse of these intoxicating substances.

Over time, these substances continue devastating their lives in various ways. For instance, they lose their health and wellness, get curtailed in their personal and professional goals, and miss out on important moments in their lives. Some of them even end up losing their lives as a result of drugs and alcohol.

Research studies show that the main substance of abuse reported by people enrolling in addiction treatment programs in Michigan include marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, heroin, and other opioids.

Due to these drugs and many others, the state was ranked in the 4th position nationally in terms of the highest rates of substance abuse and addiction. This ranking was 6 points higher than it had the previous year. Unfortunately, most of these numbers have been bolstered by the rising rates of drug overdose and abuse.

The Michigan Opioid Epidemic

While the rates of drug related overdoses that turn fatal continue rising in the state, it is not exactly surprising that most of them have been pushed up by opioids - and the ongoing opioid epidemic being reported all across the United States. For instance, drug overdoses were the main cause of death in Michigan in 2015.

That year, the state reported that deaths linked to opioid substances like fentanyl, heroin, and prescription medications were 13 times as high as they were back in 1999. This trend did not change in 2016.

From previous records, the following are the numbers of death linked to opioid drugs in the state:

• In 1999, the state suffered 1 death for every segment of 100000 people
• In 2015, it suffered 13.2 deaths for every segment of 100000 people
• In 2016, the state suffered 18.5 deaths for every segment of the population comprised of 100000 people

During the last year of reporting - 2016 - the rates of death linked to opioid drugs in Michigan were higher than those reported at the national level. That year, the United States suffered 13.3 deaths for every population segment of 100000 people.

Since 2012, these numbers have been going up mostly due to synthetic opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl as well as illicit opioids like heroin. According to NIDA - the National Institute on Drug Abuse - over 50 percent of all the drug overdose deaths in the state were linked to heroin and synthetic opioids. In 2016, for instance, the state lost 921 lives to synthetic opioids and another 727 lives as a result of heroin abuse and addiction.

However, these opioids are not the main culprits in Michigan. Even prescription opioid pain relief medications continue causing deaths on an annual basis. Most of the experts in the state now believe that this could be due to the fact that doctors write these prescriptions in high numbers.

According to the SUDR - the Substance Use Data Repository - for Michigan, for instance, local citizens filled more than 11 million prescriptions for opioid medications. This was close to 1 prescription for each resident of the state.

Illicit Substance Abuse in Michigan

Apart from heroin, the state also struggles with many other substances of abuse. Methamphetamine, in particular, is now considered to be among the main drugs that is causing problems in Michigan.

In 2016, for instance, 68 out of the 83 counties in the state were running active investigations against the production, distribution, possession, and use of methamphetamine.

The previous year, the state saw a surge in the total number of meth labs that were seized here. In 2016 too, the State Police department issued a report showing that that the total number of meth lab seizures and related arrests rose to 495 incidents - a number that was 19 percent higher than that reported back in 2015.

Over the same period, the arrests made for the delivery, sale, possession, and use of methamphetamine in Michigan rose by 46 percent. This was also the same percentage reported for admissions into addiction treatment centers for meth abuse and dependence.

Apart from methamphetamine and heroin, many people also abuse synthetic marijuana (including Spice and K2), marijuana, cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine among many other drugs.

Commonly Abused Substances in Michigan

But which substances are more often abused in this state? Consider the information below:

1. Alcohol

According to the BRFS - the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey - for 2016, more than 12000 residents of this state were interviewed. The following findings were reported by this survey:

• Within the month before the survey, more than 57 percent of the residents reported that they had consumed alcohol at least once
• 6.9 percent reported that they had drank heavily at least once in the previous month
• 19 percent said that they engaged in binge drinking within the month prior to the survey

From the same survey, it was also reported that those who had engaged in binge drinking did so close to 5 times a month. This is in spite of the fact that most of them are aware of the dangers of this behavior - including but not limited to alcohol overdose, accidental injuries, organ damage, heart attack, liver failure, and death.

Although the state reported a decline in traffic fatalities, deaths arising from traffic accidents involving alcohol shot from 271 fatalities in 2016 to 346 deaths by 2017. This was an increase of 32 percent.

SAMHSA - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration - also reported in 2010 that a total of 65027 people checked into an addiction treatment and rehabilitation center in Michigan. Of this number, 38 percent were female while 62 percent were male.

Although the number of admissions into drug rehabs in Michigan have been reducing, it was reported that there was a rise in the volume of alcohol that was sold to an underage drinker in the state. By 2010, for instance, close to 16 percent of all the alcohol that was sold in Michigan was bought by teenagers.

Of the people who were admitted into drug rehabs that year, 23 percent were mainly addicted to alcohol while an additional 17 percent were also addicted to another secondary substance of abuse.

2. Cocaine

In 2010, a total of 6064 people enrolled in an addiction treatment and rehabilitation program in Michigan for abusing cocaine. The abuse and trafficking of cocaine and crack cocaine have also been rising for many years now. At the same time, the purity levels of cocaine continue ranging from 40 to 90 percent.

3. Heroin

This illicit opioid is largely available across Michigan, particularly in and around the Detroit area. Most of the heroin that gets to this state comes from Africa, Mexico, and South America. That said, more than 11000 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment center for abusing heroin in 2010.

4. Prescription Drugs

Although every American state has a prescription drug abuse problem, it seems that the rates are higher in Michigan. In 2010, for instance, opioids other than heroin were responsible for 8448 admissions into an addiction treatment center in the state.

The demand for OxyContin, on the other hand, has been increasing all across the state. This is also the case with other prescription opioids such as methadone and hydrocodone. At the same time, local residents also abuse other prescriptions, such as stimulants and depressants, among others.

5. Marijuana

The fact that Michigan borders Canada to the north means that the state makes for a lucrative port of entry for most of the drug flowing from the known. In particular, B.C. Bud has been finding its way into the state. This drug is dangerous because it contains a higher content of THC - or tetrahydrocannabinol - than marijuana that is grown domestically.

However, it is this exact characteristic that raises its demands within Michigan as well as across the rest of the United States. By 2010, a total of 11275 people checked into an addiction treatment center in the state for abusing marijuana and developing dependence as a result.

Drug Related Fatalities and Injuries in Michigan

In 2008, it was reported that the state had a total of 84 drug courts. 15 of these were juvenile drug courts, 23 were DUI or DWI courts, 11 were family dependence courts, 3 were tribal healing and wellness courts, while 32 were regular adult drug courts.

Two years earlier in 2006, the state made a total of 32409 arrests linked to drugs. this number increased to a total of 35120 arrests the following year. By 2009, close to 39000 people residents were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. An additional 19233 residents got into trouble with the law for various liquor law violations. The same year, the state lost 246 lives as a result of traffic accidents that involved alcohol.

In 2007 also, drug use was the direct cause of 1542 deaths in Michigan. That year, the state also lost 41 lives due to motor vehicle accidents that turned out to be fatal due to substance abuse.

Further, local authorities as well as the DEA - the Drug Enforcement Administration - reported that 174 meth labs were seized in the state. By 2009, this number had increased to 679 incidences.

In 2007, the state arrested 16512 people for marijuana possession and another 3000 for selling the drug. The same year, the marijuana arrests amounted to 56 percent of the total number of drug related arrests in Michigan.

Addiction Prevention in Michigan

With such high rates of substance abuse and addiction, there are several programs in place designed to reduce, prevent, and eventually curtail the drug and alcohol crisis in the state. They include:

• In 2017, the State Attorney General started a public awareness campaign against the growing methamphetamine crisis in Michigan
• The state governor passed a standing order in 2017 to allow pharmacists and doctors to distribute Narcan (naloxone) to people who were likely to suffer an opioid overdose
• The state passed its first Good Samaritan law in 2016 to ensure that people who reported a drug overdose were not prosecuted in a court of law

Addiction Treatment in Michigan

By 2006, the state of Michigan had a total of 539 facilities offering professional addiction treatment and rehabilitation services. The same year, the unmet needs for treatment in Michigan were ranked among the least across the United States especially among people between the ages of 12 and 17. However, another state report showed that more than 50 percent of all admissions also indicated a co-occurring mental health or medical disorder over and above addiction.

If you are struggling with a substance use disorder, you should also know that Michigan has several addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs that can help you overcome this condition. These programs offer a wide variety of recovery services, including but not limited to:

• 12 step and non-12 step support group meetings
• Acupuncture
• Addiction education
• Adventure therapy
• Aftercare programming
• Art therapy
• Biofeedback
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Couples counseling
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Dual diagnosis treatment
• Equine therapy
• Executive drug rehab
• Faith based addiction treatment
• Family therapy
• Gender specific recovery services
• Group therapy
• Individual counseling
• Inpatient addiction treatment
• Massage therapy
• Medically managed detox
• Medication assisted treatment
• Meditation
• Motivational interviewing
• Music therapy
• Neurofeedback
• Outpatient addiction treatment
• Pet therapy
• Professional addiction intervention
• Sober or transitional living facilities
• Specialized drug rehabs
• Vocational training
• Wilderness therapies

Getting Help

If you are addicted to drugs and alcohol, or you are also suffering from a co-occurring medical or mental health disorder, it is recommended that you seek help from a professional addiction treatment center in Michigan or outside the state.

CITATIONS

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.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state/michigan-opioid-summary

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

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/2016_MiBRFS_Standard_Tables_FINAL_599753_7.pdf

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.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/2.0_Drug_statistics_and_Trends.pdf

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