Drug Abuse Trends in Montgomery, Alabama
The capital of Alabama, Montgomery is home to 212,237 people. Contributing to the metro area population are the military members on Maxwell Air Force Base and the thousands of students attending Alabama State University, Troy, Auburn, Faulkner, and Huntingdon College. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the relatively young age of these populations have had unique effects on substance abuse trends in Montgomery compared to the rest of the state.
The most common substances of abuse in Montgomery are:
Every year, doctors in the state of Alabama write approximately 1.2 opioid prescriptions for each resident. In just one example of the capital city’s opioid epidemic, a Montgomery pain doctor was indicted after making $10 million in illegal profits from his “pill mill.” Of 9,000 patients, half were over-prescribed controlled substances. Furthermore, there were more than 400 pain clinics at the time of the indictment. Consequently, many in the area have developed opioid dependencies as well as addictions.
Prescription opioid addiction is more common in the Montgomery area than many other parts of the state. In fact, neighboring Walker County has one of the highest rates of drug-related deaths in the country. High rates of rural substance abuse have led to 47.5 drug deaths per 100,000 residents compared to Alabama’s 16 per 100,000. Within the city of Montgomery, 8.8% of residents abuse their painkiller prescription.
Alabama has four cities in the top 15 in the nation with the highest rates of opioid abuse, including our capital city. It is hard to fathom the number of people who are affected by this disaster that started because people were greedy. Opioid manufacturers and distributors were well aware of how addictive these drugs are, still they flooded the market and lied to the people of Alabama and across the country.
In April of 2018, the city of Montgomery filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of popular opioid, OxyContin. Attorneys for the city hope to hold Purdue Pharma responsible for their part in misrepresenting the addictiveness of their pills as well as their aggressive marketing techniques.
Get Answers to Your Questions
Alcohol Abuse and Drunk Driving in Montgomery
Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in Montgomery. However, because alcohol poisoning deaths in Alabama are among the lowest in the country, many underestimate its effects. Yet, with rates of heavy drinking so high in college and military communities, the issue deserves more attention. In 2015, 9,494 Alabama crashes involved drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs (approximately 66% were men). Furthermore, DUI crashes are 7.6 times more likely to result in a fatality in the state. In Montgomery County, about 40% of all fatal traffic accidents involved alcohol.
Get Help During COVID-19
With just 30 days at a rehab center, you can get clean and sober, start therapy, join a support group, and learn ways to manage your cravings.
Substance Abuse Statistics for Montgomery
25
percent
In Montgomery County in 2016, one in four adult possession arrests were made for opium/cocaine.
88
prescriptions per 100 people
In Montgomery County in 2016, there were 88 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people.
4,718
DUI crashes
Alabama had 4,718 DUI crashes in 2015 .
Substance Abuse Treatment in Montgomery
For many Alabamans, entering treatment for an addiction can be difficult due to stigmas surrounding addiction. Oftentimes, individuals may not seek treatment until the judicial system forces them to do so. Thus, a majority of treatment admissions in Alabama are for marijuana, instead of substances linked to more crime (i.e. alcohol and meth) or substances responsible for more deaths (i.e. opioids and heroin).
State-funded treatment available in Montgomery includes the following treatment services:
- Adolescent services – outpatient and residential
- Withdrawal management (detox)
- Residential treatment
- Intensive outpatient rehab
- Outpatient drug rehab
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Co-occurring disorders for teens
- Women’s services (for pregnant women)
Get Help Today
Getting help for a substance use disorder is not an admission of failure. Addiction can happen to anyone, regardless of their circumstances in life.
If you need more information about your options for drug or alcohol rehab, talk to a recovery provider today.
