Pennsylvania Addiction Trends

Drug addiction is a serious problem that can affect thousands of individuals throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania. Addiction is often referred to as a disease, similar to cancer or diabetes, but it carries a stigma of misunderstanding that makes it more challenging for individuals to recover. Luckily, drug addiction treatment is available at Pennsylvania drug rehabs such as Little Creek.

There are plenty of individuals that still believe alcohol use and substance use disorder is a matter of willpower or choice. The same individuals believe it’s solely a matter of putting the substance down or simply cutting back. What isn’t often realized is that drug and alcohol addictions are considered to be chronic conditions.  

The chronic conditions do get worse as time progresses. After a certain point, individuals with an alcohol use or substance use disorder lose the overall power of choice. 

Addiction in Pennsylvania

Drug addiction treatment in Pennsylvania provides patients with reliable solutions to the cycle of addiction. There are numerous phases of treatment that support individuals during each step of their early recovery. Addiction treatment at Pennsylvania drug rehabs offers clients a thorough continuum of care. Therefore, separating individuals from alcohol and drugs and teaching them to engage in a sober lifestyle. 

Addiction treatment at an inpatient drug rehab in Philadelphia can help you or someone you love escape from the strong chains of alcohol and drugs. If you’re not completely familiar with the process of searching for an inpatient drug rehab in Philadelphia, it can certainly present to be challenging to start. Are you familiar with what to look for in an individual struggling to fully control their alcohol or drug use? 

What can you do for a person struggling? Or what qualifies as an addiction? If you are wondering about any of those questions, read on to find out the answers. 

What Are the Most Common Drugs Abused in PA?

Some of the most common drugs abused in PA are the following:

Prescription Painkillers

One of the most used drugs in the opioid class, along with Pennsylvania is prescription painkillers. Physicians found throughout the state provided almost 50 opioid prescriptions in 2018 alone per 100 individuals. There were over 404,000 individuals aged 12 and older and about 3.7% of that population reported engaging in misusing prescription painkillers in the past year.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is not as popular as other substances such as opioids, cocaine, or marijuana. Since there have been fewer individuals that have used the drug, it doesn’t have such an intense impact on the population. However, nearly 60,000 individuals in 2018 reported using methamphetamine. 

Cocaine 

Cocaine is considered to be one of the most illicit drugs in the state of Pennsylvania. There was an estimated 231,000 individuals, more than 2% of the population aged 12 and older that have used Cocaine alone in the past year. It isn’t however responsible for as many of the deaths due to overdose but using Cocaine certainly still comes with very serious risks. 

Heroin 

Heroin use is not as common as prescription painkillers, but it is more lethal and risky. 64,000 individuals in Pennsylvania have used Heroin at least one time during the past year. Also, some Heroin users begin using painkillers before making the switch especially when they are no longer able to afford them. 

Drug Addiction Statistics

The majority of individuals generally have a pretty solid idea of what drug addiction on a person looks like. Typically, they base their opinions upon assumptions and stereotypes to create a drug and alcohol addiction image. The hard and simple truth is substance use disorder, also known as SUD, can affect anyone, at any age, with any profession. 

It’s important to remember that there isn’t a single picture of an individual with a problem; addiction can affect individuals from every walk of life. It might not even be suspected how often an individual struggles with drug addiction. There are an estimated 14.8 million individuals ages 12 and older that reported having an alcohol use disorder in the United States in 2018. 

In addition to that statistic, there are 8.1 million individuals in a similar age range that had a substance use disorder. With over 20 million individuals struggling to somewhat control their drug and alcohol use disorder across the country, it’s evident that addiction affects a wide variety of people. The issue that lies in drug and alcohol addiction at inpatient drug rehabs in Philadelphia is just as dangerous as the U.S. statistics. 

Philadelphia as a state is among one of the highest-ranking states in the U.S. in terms of drug and drinking use. It also witnesses some of the most alarming impacts of drug and alcohol abuse consequences. One study did rank Pennsylvania in the top 20 states with some of the heaviest drinking rates. The number of active drinkers throughout the state of Pennsylvania is:

• 28% of adults are binge drinkers which correlate to 5 or more drinks in 2 hours
• 4% of the adults have an alcohol use disorder 
• 60% of adults drink alcohol 

Drug use statistics found in the state of Pennsylvania are even more frightening. There was an estimated 293,000 individuals who had an active substance use disorder in the past year. In addition, Pennsylvania is known to have the third-highest opioid overdose rate over all of the other states in the US. It’s imperative to note that opioids are responsible for 65% of all overdose deaths. The number of actual deaths caused by opioid abuse is said to be five times higher than alcohol use-related deaths. 

Treatment at Drug Rehab in Pennsylvania at Little Creek Today

It’s important to note that Pennsylvania addiction treatment at Pennsylvania drug rehabs aren’t able to cure addictions, but can certainly assist with the symptoms. By engaging ineffective treatment at an inpatient drug rehab in Philadephia, you’ll be taught how to manage addiction. Contact us today to get started on your sobriety journey.

References:

https://www.peacevalleyrecovery.com/drug-addiction/