Massachusetts
It should be noted that these substance abuse statistics in Massachusetts are not intended as an academic reference. The data collected is from State and Federal sources.
Massachusetts Addiction Treatment Statistics
According to the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) report, there were a total of 87,754 admissions to Massachusetts drug and alcohol treatment centers in 2010. The majority of those admissions were for heroin abuse. More than half of the individuals admitted to Massachusetts treatment centers were men at 69.2 % and 30.8 % were women.
Half of the Massachusetts rehabilitation facilities treat substance abuse alone, whereas 30% of drug and alcohol rehabs treat substance abuse in addition to offering mental health services. Individuals who may be suffering from a coexisting mental disorder along with their addiction (a dual diagnosis) should consider Massachusetts addiction treatment programs or out-of-state programs that treat both of these disorders simultaneously.
Half of the Massachusetts rehabilitation facilities treat substance abuse alone
Only 25% of Massachusetts drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs offer detoxification of some kind. A medically supervised detox is highly recommended to be followed immediately by a medically supervised drug and alcohol rehab program.
Alcohol Addiction in Massachusetts
- Alcohol abuse was the second most commonly abused substance for addiction treatment admissions, followed by abuse of alcohol combined with a secondary drug.
- About a quarter of those admitted to Massachusetts alcohol rehabilitation programs in 2010, it was reported that alcohol was their primary substance and an additional 13.6% claimed their primary substance was alcohol and another drug.
- 21,624 people were admitted for alcoholism with another 11,921 people using alcohol as their primary drug combined with a secondary substance.
- Underage drinking cost Massachusetts $1.5 billion in 2007 according to a report published by PIRE with funding from OJJDP, 2009.
Commonly Abused Drugs in Massachusetts
Drug abuse is a national epidemic and the numbers are continuing to rise. Heroin is becoming the cheaper replacement for opiates as states continue to crack down on the “pill mills” making the cost of opiates too expensive.
Cocaine
Cocaine is high on the list of primary drugs of abuse in Massachusetts with 2,269 people admitted for cocaine addiction through smoking with an additional 1,623 people abusing cocaine through other forms of ingestion. Price and purity levels of cocaine on the wholesale and street levels remain stable. According to the ONDCP, Colombian and Dominican traffickers are the predominant distributors of cocaine in the state of Massachusetts..
Heroin
The largest single age group suffering from heroin addiction is 26-30 year olds, of which 80% are White. The majority of those who entered drug treatment did so for heroin abuse accounting for 35,593 admissions. Other drugs continue to be a problem in Massachusetts, with other opiates leading those second most commonly abused.
Marijuana
There were 3,840 people admitted into drug rehab for marijuana treatment in 2010. Illegal drinking among juveniles combined with marijuana use continues to be a popular substance to abuse. Marijuana is readily available throughout the state of Massachusetts. Most commercially sold marijuana in Massachusetts originates in Mexico or the Southwest United States while marijuana from Colombia and Jamaica has also been encountered.
Prescription Drugs
The growing numbers in Massachusetts for misuse and abuse of prescription drugs mirrors that of the rest of the nation. This includes using prescription drugs for recreational purposes and overusing prescribed drugs. There were 5,658 people admitted for treatment of other opiates besides heroin. The most commonly abused prescription drugs in Massachusetts are Oxycodone, Vicodin, and Methadone.
Massachusetts Drug and Alcohol Fatalities, Injuries and Drug Court Statistics
1,003 persons died in Massachusetts in 2007 as a consequence of drug use compared to 450 persons who died as a result of motor vehicle accidents and another 235 who died from firearms.
In 2007, there were 20,626 drug abuse violations in Massachusetts, over 10% of these were by juveniles. Massachusetts ranks among the top eighteen states for drug-induced deaths.
There were 11,746 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) in 2007 according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). And, there were 334 alcohol related traffic fatalities in 2009.
Massachusetts Drug and Alcohol Addiction Resources
- Alcoholics Anonymous (go to the AA main page, click on find a meeting, follow link to state pages, click on Massachusetts)
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Alanon and Alateen Family Group
