Substance Abuse Trends in Nampa, Idaho
Nampa, Idaho, is a part of the Boise-Nampa metro area, with a population of 81,557 people inside city limits. Substance Use Disorder information from Idaho’s Health and Welfare Department describe the state as “very conservative” in its “approach to social service provision, emphasizing local community and faith responses to need, rather than ‘another government program’ saving the day.” Accordingly, the availability of medication-assisted addiction treatment and access to rehabs was limited for a large number of Idahoans. However, due in part to rising rates of substance abuse and drug- and alcohol-related crime, the state voted to expand Medicaid in November of 2018.
While Idaho’s drug-induced death rate is slightly lower than the national average, over half of those deaths involved opioids (62%). Moreover, the state’s opioid prescribing rate is higher than the national average; 77.6 prescriptions are dispensed for every 100 people in Idaho, compared to a U.S. rate of 66.5. The most common opioid prescriptions include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone. The rate of coroner reports with the presence of deadly opioid analogs like fentanyl (up to 100 times stronger than morphine), remifentanil, and alfentanil is also higher in the state compared to the national average.
The Most Commonly Abused Substances in Nampa
- Alcohol
- Opioids (prescription and illicit)
- Psychostimulants (i.e. Ritalin®)
- Benzodiazepines
- Antidepressants
- Methamphetamine
Get Answers to Your Questions
Crime and Substance Abuse in Nampa
Crime and substance abuse are heavily linked in society and, while cities like Boise and Meridian have seen crime rates decline, rates have increased in Nampa. Approximately 80% of offenders abuse substances (often at the time of the crime), and nearly half of inmates qualify as having a substance use disorder. In 2016, Nampa’s crime rate was nearly double nearby Meridian’s and was likewise higher than the national average. Statewide, the rate of violent crime has increased by 2.6%, and drug-related crime has increased 11.7% since 2016.
Meth abuse–associated with violent and/or drug-seeking behavior that often leads to property crime and theft– affects more than 7,000 Idahoans over the age of 12. Over 120,000 people in the state reported using meth at least once in their lifetime. Subsequently, Idaho ranked 8th in the country for past-year meth use and meth-related arrests have doubled between 2008 and 2016.
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 Nampa, Idaho
13
per 100,000 people
Thirteen per 100,000 Idaho residents died of alcohol-related causes in 2016.
1
death per week
In 2016, approximately 1 person died per week due to meth abuse in Idaho.
75
drug-induced deaths
Between 2014 and 2016, 75 people in Nampa’s Canyon County suffered drug-induced deaths.
Addiction Treatment in Nampa
The “pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps” mentality that has pervaded Idaho for decades has resulted in the heavily-regulated availability and access to proper addiction treatment. As such, public funding for addiction treatment medications were restricted to suboxone and buprenorphine and available only to pregnant women. Moreover, medication was only provided by a limited number of doctors with further limits placed on the number of patients they could serve.
Fortunately, in 2018 Idaho expanded Medicaid and, with $4.1 million awarded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will expand access to treatment services. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), the dispensation of anti-overdose medication like naloxone, and recovery services for the state’s inmates will benefit from funding, in hopes of reducing rates of addiction and crime throughout the Gem State.
Find a Drug or Alcohol Rehab Today
If you live in the Nampa area and need more information about your addiction treatment options, contact a rehab provider today.