Maryland
It should be noted that these Maryland drug abuse statistics are not intended as an academic reference. The data collected is from State and Federal sources.
Maryland Addiction Treatment Statistics
There were 61,377 admissions to Maryland drug and alcohol treatment programs in 2010. For all those entering treatment, 67.8 % were male while 32.2% were female, according to 2010 government reports.
Since the mid 1990s admissions for heroin addiction has steadily increased in Maryland treatment facilities while admissions for alcohol addiction have decreased.
Alcohol Addiction in Maryland
There were 11,230 admissions for alcohol alone in 2010 in Maryland, with an additional 7,892 for alcohol combined with a secondary substance. The percentage of men entering treatment in 2010 for alcoholism was 73.4% and 26.6% were women. The largest demographic age group admitted for alcoholism was those between 46-50 years old at 8.2%.
Commonly Abused Drugs in Maryland
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
Between the years of 2004-2005, 104,000 citizens in Maryland reported using cocaine. In 2010, 4,733 were admitted for alcohol and drug treatment for smoking cocaine while 1,167 were admitted for ingesting cocaine by other means than smoking.
Heroin
Heroin addiction in Maryland continues to rise surpassing primary alcohol abuse. 16,088 people were admitted for heroin addiction treatment in 2010. The composition of this figure breaks down to 62.9% male and 37.1% female. Heroin is most prevalent in the Baltimore area. Over the years, Baltimore has become known as one of the nation's center for heroin addiction.
Marijuana
In 2010, there were 11,767 people admitted into drug facilities for marijuana addiction, of which 79.1% were male and 20.9% were female. The largest percentage of people admitted to treatment for marijuana was between 12-17 years of age at a staggering 19.2%.
Prescription Drugs
Oxycodone continues to be a major problem in Maryland. Some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs in Maryland are Benzodiazepines, methadone, and Klonopin. From the years 2006-2010 there has been a 106% increase in treatment admissions that were related to the abuse of prescription drugs. In 2010, there were 6,898 admissions for opiates other than heroin.
807 persons died in Maryland as a direct consequence of drug use in 2007
Maryland Drug and Alcohol Fatalities, Injuries and Drug Court Statistics
- In 2006, law enforcement in Maryland reported 21,220 arrests for opium and cocaine possession.
- In 2007, the DEA reported making 579 arrests for assorted drug violations.
- As a direct consequence of drug use, 807 persons died in Maryland in 2007. This is compared to the number of persons who died in Maryland from motor vehicle accidents (675) and firearms (678) in the same year.
- In juvenile court there were 4,321 referrals for DWIs to substance abuse treatment. There were 186 alcohol related driving fatalities in 2008.
- According to recent Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) data, one in three motor vehicle fatalities (33 percent) with known drug test results tested positive for drugs in 2009.
- Maryland drug-induced deaths exceeded the national rate in 2010.
Maryland 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 Maryland)
- Narcotics Anonymous
