Overdoses Killing Suburbians

Drug addiction continues to pose an extremely heavy threat to our populace, and it continues to increase every day.  This is especially borne out by the rates of overdose that are being displayed all across the country.  According to a report from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on drug overdoses, “CDC analyzed recent multiple cause-of-death mortality data to examine current trends and characteristics of drug overdose deaths, including the types of opioids associated with drug overdose deaths. During 2014, a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States, representing a 1-year increase of 6.5%, from 13.8 per 100,000 persons in 2013 to 14.7 per 100,000 persons in 2014.”

The death rates from overdose have grown to such epic proportions that the numbers have become higher than other common causes of death.  Overdose now claims more lives than motor vehicle crashes and firearms per year.  A large part of this is the fact that particular drugs are beginning to spread across the nation into many different demographics.  The overall amount of individuals becoming addicted to different drugs is increasing, and therefore there are more users that are ending up overdosing.

Drug Overdoses Increasing Among All Demographics

A large factor in the increase of drug overdoses is the fact that many different substances, primarily opiates such as prescription medications and heroin are becoming much more prevalent in suburban communities.  While many drugs, particularly heroin were often recognized as being predominantly street drugs in urban areas and relegated primarily to the lower classes and areas of poverty, the reality is that this is quickly developing into in all demographic type of drug.  Heroin has, in fact, become very prominent among higher social classes, as well as particularly young adults.  According to an analysis published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), “Our data show that the demographic composition of heroin users entering treatment has shifted over the last 50 years such that heroin use has changed from an inner-city, minority-centered problem to one that has a more widespread geographical distribution, involving primarily white men and women in their late 20s living outside of large urban areas.  In recent years, there have been a number of mainstream media reports that the abuse of heroin has migrated from low-income urban areas with large minority populations to more affluent suburban and rural areas with primarily white populations.”

Prescription medications have made their way heavily into suburban communities primarily due to the fact that the rate of prescription of them has increased exponentially within our contemporary society.  Prescription rates are at the highest they have ever been, and this contributes to more individuals ending up addicted to them.  Since they are prescribed for a large variety of painful conditions, there is a wide spectrum of individuals who receive them.  An unfortunate aspect of this is that a multitude of those who become addicted to prescription medications end up graduating to using heroin.  This is generally due to the fact of heroin being much cheaper and more readily available.

Opiates tend to be one of the most common drug overdoses within individuals.  They are highly addictive, and individuals using them will begin to build a tolerance, and so they begin to use more and more to produce the same effects, which then down the road leads to overdose.  An important aspect of this that needs to be reviewed and taken into consideration is getting these individuals struggling with addiction into treatment before this level is reached.  There are many signs that can be noticed before the addiction reaches this point.  There also needs to be more focus on getting these individuals immediately into treatment once they are stabilized after overdose.  This way, they receive the help needed and are better fortified to not overdose again.  Implementing these preventative and after measures may help largely in reducing the overall rates of drug overdoses that are killing suburbians, as well as other demographics.

Finding Treatment for An Addiction

There can sometimes be a stigma about individuals having to attend rehab.  The reality is that seeking treatment for an addiction should never be something that a person is ashamed of.  Seeking treatment for an addiction is one of the most courageous things that a person can do.  It requires a lot of confront and bravery to not only admit an addiction, but also that you need help with it.  Some can become discouraged when searching for addiction treatment, simply because there are so many different treatment types and treatment centers to sort through.  We are here to help with finding the right fit in a rehab center.  Give us a call today and we will help find the perfect private inpatient treatment facility for yourself or a loved one.