What are the most common addictions that are severe enough to necessitate addiction treatment programs? Understanding the existing drug hazards is crucial to prevention and treatment. Contact Northpoint Recovery today at 888.296.8976 to learn more about addictions people go to rehab for in Idaho and the rest of the country.
Tracking Rehab Admissions Through TEDS
The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) is a system maintained jointly by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.
Because most states only collect data on those programs that receive state or federal funding, TEDS does not reflect every single treatment admission in the country. However, it does offer an illuminating snapshot of the current situation or what addictions people go to rehab for. Let’s look at the top 10 addictions people go to rehab for, as ranked by the total number of admissions.
1. Heroin (25.7% of Treatment Admissions)
Heroin is an opioid made from morphine, a natural product of the opium poppy. After years of decline, heroin’s return to popularity is primarily driven by the prescription painkiller addiction crisis. 80% of heroin addicts self-report that they started by misusing opioid medications.
2. Alcohol (18.7% of Treatment Admissions)
Alcohol is the most commonly used—and abused—intoxicating substance worldwide. It is important to note that although alcohol abuse occurs at every age, people age 50 and up make up over 43% of alcohol-related treatment admissions.
3. Alcohol with a Secondary Drug (14.6% of Treatment Admissions)
Alcohol is considered by many to be the most significant gateway drug. In fact, among high school seniors who have used any of the top three gateway drugs—alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana—54% reported that alcohol was the first substance they had ever tried. Mixing alcohol with other drugs is extremely dangerous.
4. Marijuana (14.2% of Treatment Admissions)
With the increasingly legal status of recreational marijuana, this number is only expected to rise sharply. For some, marijuana being placed on this list may be a surprise because many people think that marijuana is not addictive. This is not the case.
5. Amphetamines (8.8% of Treatment Admissions)
This category includes methamphetamines, ecstasy, bath salts, phenmetrazine, and other drugs. Of particular relevance, methamphetamine is a growing drug threat in the United States, primarily because of Mexican drug cartels.
6. Other Opiates (8.2% of Treatment Admissions)
This category includes both the misuse of prescription opioids and the abuse of illicit synthetic opioids like:
- Hydrocodone
- Oxycodone
- Hydromorphone
- Methadone
- Fentanyl
- Buprenorphine
- Codeine
Synthetic opioids are a particular concern because, in 2016, there were 21,405 deaths involving fentanyl and its analogs.
7. Cocaine (5% of Treatment Admissions)
Cocaine consumption and addiction are expected to rise sharply. The Colombian supply is now greater than at any other point in history.
8. Tranquilizers (0.9% of Treatment Admissions)
This category includes benzodiazepines, which are primarily prescribed for anti-anxiety or as sleeping aids—alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), etc. Benzodiazepines should never be discontinued abruptly because the withdrawal symptoms are extremely dangerous—potentially, even fatal.
9. PCP (0.3% of Treatment Admissions)
Phencyclidine (PCP), or “angel dust,” is a powerful hallucinogen that can trigger violent behavior. Although PCP is most commonly mixed with tobacco or marijuana and smoked, it can also be eaten, injected, or snorted.
10. Sedatives (0.2% of Treatment Admissions)
This category primarily consists of barbiturates such as secobarbital (Seconal), phenobarbital, pentobarbital (Nembutal), and the like. Although benzodiazepines have primarily replaced them, barbiturates are still prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, and seizures in some cases.
Call Northpoint Recovery Today to Enroll in an Addiction Treatment Program
Contact our team at Northpoint Recovery today at 888.296.8976 to learn more about addictions people need rehab for and our top addiction treatment programs in Idaho.