According the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, prescription drugs are the second most abused substance abused by the country’s youth. In Oregon, prescription drugs rank behind marijuana and methamphetamine, but thanks to pharmacy robberies, forged or indiscriminate prescriptions, and a number of other means of diverting legal drugs to non-medical use, drugs like methadone, Oxycontin, Percocet, and Vicodin, along with steroids, are a significant threat to Oregon residents. Oregon drug and alcohol treatment centers report an interesting, if disturbing trend: increasingly, people are being admitted for treatment of more than one substance.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, Oregon
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),  December 2008

Alcohol remains king of substance abuse in Oregon, however. National studies rank Oregon among the top ten states for alcohol dependency and abuse in people age 12 and over and adults 26 and older. This is demonstrated well in the chart below, which shows alcohol admissions to Oregon treatment centers topping all others by a wide margin. Oregon, despite huge marijuana growing operations hidden in its National Forests and widespread smuggling of Canadian and Mexican “weed,” has one of the lowest incidences of marijuana use and abuse in the United States.

Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
State of Oregon Profile of Drug Indicators
February  2008

As of 2006 there were 224 drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in Oregon. Of these, nine were operated by tribal governments and two offered treatment in Native American languages. Oregon residents can choose between private nonprofit facilities (124), private for-profit centers (55), and the 35 rehab centers operated by local governments. A high percentage of Oregon rehab centers (167) contract their services to other agencies such as hospitals, extending their reach to Oregon residents needing treatment for substance abuse. In Oregon as in every other state, the mix of programs and the level of services varies from treatment center to treatment center. Only 12 facilities statewide offer opioid treatment programs such as for prescription drug addictions. Individuals and families seeking treatment should therefore carefully evaluate local and regional options for drug and alcohol rehabilitation to determine if the local program offers the comprehensive care required. Some programs are adults-only, or youth-only; some can handle detoxification; others cannot. Over 86% of all drug and alcohol treatment facilities in Oregon provide outpatient services. In 2006, 50 offered residential care.

While Oregon’s teens in general have lower rates of marijuana and other substance abuse than in other parts of the nation, of the 47,600 people admitted to drug and alcohol treatment in Oregon in 2006, 10% were under 18. Note from the chart below the high rate of experimentation with marijuana, inhalants, cocaine, and Ecstasy among Oregon high school students.

Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
State of Oregon Profile of Drug Indicators
February  2008

Parents concerned with keeping their children out of a drug and alcohol treatment center in Oregon should educate themselves on the signs and symptoms of drug abuse, including alcohol dependency, and seek treatment as early as possible. Early intervention and aggressive treatment is a must for most modern drugs with their almost unbelievable power to addict, sometimes, as with meth, on the very first use. A recent Maryland study showed that high percentages of addicts reported their first exposure to drugs and alcohol as adolescents. Heading off a lifelong battle with drugs or alcohol through “rehab” can also save a lifetime of heartache—or an early grave.