Addiction Treatment and Drug and Alcohol Rehabs in Wisconsin

Also known as the American Dairy land, Wisconsin occupies more than 54,000 square miles of expansive and diverse landscape. It also has an estimated population of over 5.8 million people.

Even so, Wisconsin is like each state in the Union in the sense that it has been struggling with its fair share of drug and alcohol related problems. In 2016, for instance, the Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drugs for Wisconsin showed that the rates of substance abuse in the state were reaching worrying trends.

Addiction Statistics in Wisconsin

Alcohol is among the most commonly abused of all substances within this state. The drug is especially worrying when you consider that it was responsible for over 2,000 deaths in Wisconsin in 2015 alone.

At the same time, addiction treatment and recovery programs have been witnessing an increase in the total number of young people who abuse and become addicted to prescription medications.

In 2015, additionally, more than 900 people lost their lives due to illicit substance abuse. The same year, it was reported that opioids were the drugs that were most commonly implicated in these deaths. They were closely followed by benzodiazepines and heroin.

Other figures show that binge drinking is at an all-time high in Wisconsin. This is not surprising especially when you consider the fact that the alcohol consumption rates in the state have been put at 660 standard drinks for every resident. This is over and above the total national averages of 513 standard drinks. In 2012, it was also reported that Wisconsin lost more than 1700 lives as a direct consequence of excessive alcohol drinking.

Apart from alcohol, there are other substances that are commonly abused in this state. The State Patrol, for instance, reported an increase of 1592% in the total number of meth seizures between 2010 and 2014.

The total number of deaths involving heroin have also increased significantly to 33 percent by 2014 from a paltry 5 percent back in 2006. Additionally, 15 percent of all high school students in Wisconsin reported that they abused prescription opioid medications while club drugs like GHB, ketamine, and ecstasy continue being popular especially among the young.

Addiction Treatment in Wisconsin

It is also sad to note that all these drug related deaths reported in Wisconsin could have been prevented. The state government is currently aware of the drug and alcohol problem plaguing its residents. As a result, it has been working on reducing, preventing, and completely eliminating their problem.

For instance, the Department of Health partnered with the School of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin to create the STARP ? the Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention Program. The goal of this program is to increase admissions and reduce waiting times to state drug rehab centers, as well as to encourage the continuation of treatment in between sessions.

Rehabilitation programs in Wisconsin also offer a wide variety of recovery programs as well as specialized treatment plans. If you suspect that you might have a substance related problem, or any other co-occurring medical or mental health disorder, it is recommended that you check into an inpatient or outpatient drug rehab center in the state so that you can get the help you need to overcome your conditions.