California teens and adults have higher rates of illicit drug use compared to the national averages. In response, California has taken steps to prevent drug abuse and expand access to treatment for its residents:
- After launching the California Tobacco Control Program in 1989, the rate of cigarette smoking in the state decreased by 51% from 1988 to 2014, and now has the second-lowest adult smoking prevalence rate in the country.
- The state has also passed a law to curb opioid overprescribing and broadened reimbursement for treatment services for Medicaid recipients.
- The state legalized marijuana for personal use in 2016.
The state enacted Senate Bill 482 to help prevent prescription opioid addiction, which went into effect in 2017. The law requires doctors to check a database of a patient’s prescription history before prescribing opioids. In 2015, the state expanded substance abuse treatment services to people on Medi-Cal, including inpatient care, case management, recovery services, and added medication.
California has 1,004 outpatient programs, 521 residential programs, and 30 hospital inpatient programs. 142 facilities offer opioid treatment programs. 85% accept cash or self-payment, 51% accept private health insurance, 19% accept Medicare, 29% accept Medicaid, and 63% offer a sliding scale fee.
Some facts about addiction in California by the numbers:
- On a positive note, California teens have lower rates of cigarette smoking than their counterparts nationally. Seventy-two percent of high school students in the state report never trying cigarettes, compared to 68% nationwide.
- California teens also have lower rates of alcohol use than nationwide averages. 15% report binge drinking in the past month compared to 18% nationwide, and 29% report having at least 1 drink on at least 1 day during the past month, compared to 33% nationwide.
- While rates of past-year alcohol dependence and abuse and illicit drug dependence and abuse among Californians age 12 and older have consistently been above national averages since 2010-2011, these rates have declined over the past few years.
- About 4,500 Californians died from drug overdose in 2014, up by 1,500, or 50%, from 2002. More than twice as many Californians die as the result of drug overdoses than homicide.
- Use of marijuana, stimulants, and heroin were the reasons most commonly cited for admission into drug treatment in California from 1992-2012.
- The number of people receiving methadone in the state increased from 29,874 in 2009 to 30,872 in 2013. The number of people receiving buprenorphine increased from 1,392 in 2009 to 2,154 in 2013.
There are alternative forms of recovery available to those accused of a crime in California. It is important to determine their applicability to your criminal matter. John Patrick Dolan has over forty years of experience working to help his clients obtain the best resolution possible when freedom and reputation are at stake. Call us today at (760) 775-3739 or find out more online here.
