Substance Abuse Trends in Texas

While the opioid crisis is evident across the entire country, the state of Texas also suffers from an epidemic of methamphetamine abuse and high rates of drunk driving deaths. In addressing these drug abuse problems across the state, it’s also important to discuss the efficacy of medically-assisted drug detox programs to help the affected individuals.

Drug Overdose Deaths in Texas

Drug overdoses are a leading cause of death in the nation, killing more people than guns, traffic accidents, and falling incidents.¹ The number of drug overdose deaths in Texas varies based on the county, but according to CDC Wonder, here are the number of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 population between the years of 2013 and 2015 in some of the state’s largest counties.²

Harris County – 1,291 overdose deaths
Dallas County – 876 overdose deaths
Tarrant County – 518 overdose deaths
Bexar County – 575 overdose deaths
Travis County – 424 overdose deaths
Collin County – 202 overdose deaths
Denton County – 158 overdose deaths

Texas Drunk Driving Statistics

Alcohol abuse continues to be a major problem in the state of Texas and is the primary drug of abuse in the state. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 28 percent of people admitted to publicly funded substance abuse treatment centers needed treatment for alcohol addiction.³

Impaired driving while under the influence of alcohol is a leading factor in deaths on roadways in the state. About every 20 minutes in Texas, a person is hurt or killed in a crash involving alcohol.⁴ Here are a few other sobering statistics about drunk driving in Texas:

According to the CDC, 17 percent of adults in Texas report binge drinking or heavy drinking and 30 percent of driving deaths involve alcohol.⁵
In 2015, 362 people in Harris County were killed by drunk drivers.⁶
In 2016, there were 1,438 drunk driving deaths in the state of Texas and 987 people died as a result of DUI crashes.^7,8
In the state of Texas, sobriety checkpoints are not allowed, but a higher percentage of people in Texas (2.1 percent) report driving after drinking too much, in comparison to the national average (1.9 percent).⁹

Methamphetamine and Opioid Abuse in Texas

In Texas, methamphetamine abuse is just as much of a problem as the opioid crisis. A report compiled by the University of Texas at Austin cites a 37 percent increase in methamphetamine seizures in Texas between 2013 and 2015 and methamphetamine is ranked as the number one drug threat in the DEA Dallas area and number two in Houston.¹⁰

Poison control calls involving methamphetamine in 2015 were also higher than they have ever been historically and methamphetamine admissions to treatment programs increased from 3 percent in 1995 to 16 percent of admissions in 2015.¹⁰

The DEA has also reported an increase in Mexican opium production to meet the demands of users in the U.S. and heroin (primarily black tar and powdered brown) and fentanyl abuse in Texas continues to be high. In early 2016, a new fentanyl powder began appearing in Texas and the sudden appearance of synthetic opioids such as UR-47700 (also referred to as U4 or Pink) posed deadly threats to both users and emergency responders. The primary opioid of abuse in Texas currently is hydrocodone.¹⁰

There is Hope for Texans Suffering from Addiction

Despite the grim reality of these statistics concerning drug and alcohol abuse in Texas, there is still hope for Texans who are suffering from addiction. Although there are many different routes to sobriety, such as inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment, medically-assisted drug and alcohol detox is often the first step to achieving lasting sobriety.

Medically-assisted drug detox can help a person overcome their addiction to methamphetamine, alcohol, heroin, or any other addictive substance by providing an individualized treatment plan that addresses the person’s unique physical, emotional, and psychological needs. It also allows for a gradual descent into sobriety, alleviating uncomfortable and painful withdrawal symptoms along the way.

Since addiction is rarely a stand-alone problem, it is very important to also address the psychological aspects of substance abuse, even beginning as early in the treatment process as drug detox. Throughout a client’s detox program, he or she will have the opportunity to work with a clinical counselor to address complex emotions and feelings in response to the detox experience. This will help the client begin to break down barriers of shame and trauma as they prepare for entry into inpatient or outpatient drug rehab.

Drug abuse and addiction may be prevalent in the state of Texas, but your life doesn’t have to continue this way if you don’t want it to. Call Hill Country Detox today to speak with an admissions specialist today. Our staff is caring, knowledgeable, and ready to assist you if you’d like to enroll in a medically-assisted drug detox program.

References: