Addiction is a behavioral disease that has affected every geographic location on the entire planet: every country, every city, and every type of person. California is no exception to this rule. Roughly 3 million people in California abuse illegal drugs, and that doesn’t include addictions to legal substances, such as alcohol. According to one study by the California Department of Public Health, more than 11,500 people are treated in California hospitals for an overdose every year. That’s about an overdose every 45 minutes, and doesn’t include overdoses that never get treated at a hospital. Roughly 11 people die every day from a drug overdose in California, which makes it the highest cause of premature death in the state.
Addiction is on the rise everywhere
It’s important to note that addiction is not uniquely a California problem. Addiction has been a major problem all over the country for the past decade, whether you look at the rise of overdoses, due to the growing opioid epidemic, or you look at the fact that 9% of U.S. adults display the criteria to be diagnosed with an alcohol abuse disorder. In this sense, California has merely followed the trends throughout the rest of the country. However, California has the economic resources to truly address this problem in a way that few other states can. We can be the example for the first steps on how to reduce substance abuse.
Higher opioid overdose rates in Northern California
Interestingly, the most fatal aspects of addiction seem to be a lot more prevalent in northern California than in southern California. In our own Calaveras County, the opioid overdose rate is 5.7 overdoses per 100,000 people. In Los Angeles, this rate was over three times lower, with 1.7 opioid overdoses per 100,000 residents. Even in a larger county in northern California, the opioid overdose rate is still 3.3 deaths per 100,000 residents, almost double what it is in most southern counties.
Statistics about addiction in California
Did you know that over 4 out of 5 arrests in Sacramento involve perpetrators who test positive for illegal drug use? Neither did most people. Click here to learn more about specific statistics about addiction in California.
Turning Point of Arnold’s mission for California
At Turning Point of Arnold, we know more than anyone how bleak the numbers on addiction look right now. However, we believe that hope can empower us to face this problem with unique solutions. Our mission is to serve the people of California with open hearts and open hearts, so that we can save lives and bring people back into the fold of our communities.
Click here to learn more about our mission for California.