Drug and Alcohol Abuse Trends in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord is the state capital of New Hampshire and serves as the county seat of Merrimack County. Like other cities across the state, Concord has high rates of substance use disorders, particularly concerning opioids. Additionally, illicit drugs such as crystal meth and crack cocaine are making a comeback among city residents.
The Opioid Crisis in Concord
The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities across the country, and the state of New Hampshire is no different. In addition to West Virginia and Ohio, New Hampshire leads the nation in opioid abuse and death rates. The Granite State had the second highest rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in America in 2017. In particular, deaths due to synthetic opioids such as heroin and fentanyl almost tripled from 2013 to 2016. During the year of 2018, law enforcement officials seized 851 grams of heroin and fentanyl, and 141 oxycodone pills statewide.
Merrimack County has the second highest number of opioid-related Emergency Department visits per capita out of all of New Hampshire, with 6.49 visits per 10,000 population. Dozens of community members and professionals have lobbied for federal grants in hopes for assistance in battling the present opioid crisis. As of 2018, New Hampshire is in line to receive $45.8 million to be spent over the next two fiscal years. The State Opioid Response grants are designed to target funds to implement stronger medicine-assisted treatments and reduce the number of drug-related deaths through prevention, treatment, and recovery activities.
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The Meth and Crack Comeback
Over the past few years, methamphetamine has been making a regional return to the New England area. In 2018, law enforcement officials seized around 248 grams of the drug in Concord town limits. Meth is a potent stimulant that is extremely addictive and produces multiple physical and mental impairments in users. New Hampshire police suspect the drug is entering the state through main highways like Interstate 95 and distributed by Massachusetts drug trafficking organizations from Lawrence and Lowell. As police in Southern New Hampshire have increased anti-drug sweeps, many dealers and users have traveled to central cities like Concord. Furthermore, drug enforcement officers are seeing a rise in small-scale crystal meth production in Merrimack County homes. Named “one-pot” meth labs, these operations produce much less than larger setups, but still carry the danger of fire and explosion.
We predicted this a while ago, that meth would come back – and it has. What we’ve seen the last few months is that all of the drugs sent out to be analyzed are coming back as exclusively methamphetamine or a mixture of meth and heroin, or meth and fentanyl.
In addition to meth, crack cocaine is also resurfacing on the streets of Concord at an alarming rate. Crack was popular in the city during the 1990’s, but relatively disappeared during the early 2000s as more residents became addicted to prescription pain medications. Local officials believe that the dealers currently selling crack are taking advantage of the opioid epidemic and pushing their supplies as police are busy containing highly abused opioids like heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone. Although heroin is the main focus of the Concord police department, they are still actively investigating other drug threats such as cocaine within the area. The Merrimack County Narcotics Division seized more than 324 grams of crack during 2015.
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Concord Substance Abuse Statistics
25
Percent
25% of New Hampshire adults identify drug abuse as the most pressing issue facing the state.
$1.84
Billion
Substance misuse cost the New Hampshire economy over $1.84 billion dollars this past year, which is equal to about $1,393 dollars for every person in the state.
93
Percent
Opioids were present in 93% of overdose deaths that occurred in Concord in 2017.
Finding Treatment in Concord
If drugs or alcohol are negatively affecting your life, there are multiple high-quality rehabilitation centers in Concord that can help you or a loved one, as well as thousands more nationwide. To receive guidance on your options moving forward, contact a dedicated treatment provider. They are here to answer any questions that you may have and help you find the best path to long-term recovery.
