Advisory

Treatment Admissions Continue to Rise for Methamphetamine and Prescription Narcotics in 2004

New data released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show admissions to substance abuse treatment involving methamphetamine and narcotic pain medications continued to rise in 2004. Methamphetamine admissions to treatment rose 11 percent between 2003 and 2004, and 25 percent between 2002 and 2004. For opiates other than heroin, there was a 21 percent increase in admissions to treatment since 2003 and a 42 percent increase from 2002-2004. Opiates other than heroin are largely prescription pain medications.

Admissions to treatment for methamphetamine as the primary substance of abuse rose from 105,981 in 2002 to 117,259 in 2003 to 129,179 in 2004. Admissions to treatment for prescription opiates as the primary substance of abuse rose from 46,972 in 2002 to 53,120 in 2003 to 63,243 in 2004.

“Treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse and nonmedical use of prescription pain medications continue to rapidly increase,” SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. “With appropriate treatment and support services people with an addiction can attain and sustain recovery. Because there are many pathways to recovery, we continue to work with the states to provide flexible funding sources to meet emerging trends in treatment need . In addition to the $1.8 billion block grant to states for substance abuse treatment and prevention, the President has proposed almost $100 million in FY 2007 for new Access to Recovery grants to states. This proposal includes $25 million for treatment for methamphetamine abuse.”

While nationally 8 percent of admissions were due to methamphetamine as primary substance of abuse, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Utah had 20 percent or more of their admissions due to methamphetamine. Methamphetamine admissions ranged from a low of 0.1 percent in Rhode Island to a high of 41 percent of admissions in Hawaii.

Nationwide, 3.4 percent of admissions to substance abuse treatment were due to abuse of opiates other than heroin, while heroin admissions were higher, at 14.2 percent, but Maine had 14.3 percent of admissions due to narcotic pain relievers and 9 percent due to heroin, and West Virginia had 13.6 percent of admissions due to narcotic pain relievers and only 3.1 percent due to heroin. Louisiana had 1.5 percent of admissions due to heroin, but non-heroin opiates amounted to 8.8 percent of admissions. In Vermont, heroin and opiate pain relievers each accounted for over 9 percent of admissions.

The report presents highlights from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2004. This summary report is based on 1.8 million annual admissions to treatment for abuse of alcohol and drugs in facilities that are licensed or certified by the state substance abuse agency. The full TEDS report will be available later this summer.

SAMHSA, is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service