Substance Abuse Treatment

Date Posted: 04/09/2009

The Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division collects data from Colorado substance abuse treatment programs that receive public (federal and state) funds comprising some portion of their budgets. These data represent adults, as well as youth and adolescents who participate in treatment. See the 'Additional Information' section for definitions of the treatment and drug types examined.

What this chart shows: Treatment Admissions by Primary Substance - Colorado & Larimer County, 2008

Data Source: Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division

See data table

What this chart shows: Treatment Admissions by Drug Type, Excluding Alcohol - Colorado & Larimer County, 2008

Data Source: Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2008, Larimer County and Colorado reported that the highest number of treatment admissions were for alcohol abuse, averaging nearly 40% of all admissions. The next highest treatment category, marijuana, accounted for 25.8% of treatment admissions in Larimer County, which was 20% higher than marijuana treatment admissions for Colorado (21.5%). According to the National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH), Colorado consistently ranks among the top ten states for illicit marijuana use.

Methamphetamine (meth) admissions to treatment were somewhat greater for Larimer County (19.6%), than the Colorado average (15.8%). In 2008, when admissions for alcohol treatment are excluded, nearly one-third of all other admissions in Larimer County were identified as being associated with meth (32.3%). From 2003 to 2008, meth treatment admissions for Larimer County residents increased by more than 176%.

*The drug types comprising the 'other' bar in the chart include Benzodiazeine tranquilizer, Clonazepam, other sedatives, other tranquilizers, non-prescription Methadone, and other hallucinogens.

What this chart shows: Substance Abuse Treatment by Age - Colorado & Larimer County, 2008

Data Source: Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2008, Larimer County had a higher percentage of residents under 35 admitted to substance abuse treatment than Colorado as a whole. Larimer County adults age 25 to 34 were the largest group to receive treatment (29.8% or 512 adults).

The second largest group receiving treatment was young adults between 18 and 24 (25.1% or 431 adults), which may be partially explained by the presence of Colorado State University and student overuse of alcohol and drugs.

In 2007, 20.8 million people, nationwide, were classified as needing substance abuse treatment, but did not receive any treatment. (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007)

What this chart shows: Substance Abuse Treatment by Gender - Larimer County, 2008

Data Source: Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division

See data table

What these data tell us:

The percentage of Larimer County females admitted for some form of treatment decreased each year since 2006. In 2008, 529 local admissions were female and 1,189 admissions were male. According to a report from SAMHSA, Women in Substance Abuse Treatment, differences in treatment admissions between genders include:

• Women were less likely than men to be employed full-time and more likely to be unemployed.
• Women were more likely than men to be admitted for drug abuse instead of alcohol abuse.

What this chart shows: Substance Abuse Treatment by Race/Ethnicity - Colorado & Larimer County, 2008

Data Source: Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division

See data table

What these data tell us:

Larimer County residents who were admitted to treatment were more likely to be 'White' than the Colorado average (78.8% versus 63.0%). This trend is evident in the previous two years of data as well.

Hispanic/Latinos were overrepresented in Larimer County, with 16.2% of all treatment admissions, whereas Hispanics comprise slightly less than 10% of the County population. (see Population by Race & Ethnicity)

Additional Information:

Definitions -

Types of substance abuse treatment include:

• Day Treatment
• Intensive Outpatient
• Intensive Residential Care
• Medically Managed Inpatient (other than detox) - A medically managed inpatient treatment service is operated by a general or specialty hospital, and includes 24-hour nursing care, physician management and the availability of all other resources of the hospital.
• Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT) - Treatment for heroin or other opiate addiction that uses a substitute drug to decrease addiction. While most programs use methadone as the substitute drug of choice, most recently Buprenorphine, LAAM (levo acetyl methadol) and naltrexone have been employed for this purpose.
• Short-Term Intensive Residential Remediation Treatment (STIRRT) - This program seeks to assist substance abusers who fail to maintain sobriety while on parole or probation. The program includes both residential (housing up to 20 men for two weeks) and intensive outpatient treatment.
• Therapeutic Communities
• Traditional Outpatient - Conducted by appropriately credentialed counselors on a regularly scheduled basis with a frequency of less than 9 treatment contact hours per week.
• Transitional Residential Care - Provides care for individuals or families leaving more intensive treatment settings and services include helping clients reintegrate into the community.

The following drug definitions are from www.streetdrugs.org. Additional drug information is available from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

• Alcohol - Considered a legal depressant, alcohol is a liquid obtained by fermentation of carbohydrates by yeast or by distillation. There are many different varieties of alcohol, but Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the type of alcohol that is used to make alcoholic beverages.
• Barbiturate - Barbiturates, such as mephobarbital (Mebaral) and pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), are used to treat anxiety, tension, and sleep disorders.
• Benzodiazeine Tranquilizer - Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide HCl (Librium), and alprazolam (Xanax), can be prescribed to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions, and panic attacks; the more sedating benzodiazepines, such as triazolam (Halcion) and estazolam (ProSom) can be prescribed for short-term treatment of sleep disorders.
• Clonazepam - Clonazepam (Klonopin) is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of seizure disorders. Clonazepam is a member of a class of drug known as benzodiazepines. This drug may also be used for the short-term relief of mild to moderate anxiety.
• Cocaine / Crack - Illegal central nervous system stimulant that speeds up mental and physical processes in the body. Powder cocaine is dissolved in a solution of sodium bicarbonate and water. The solution is boiled and a solid substance separates from the boiling mixture. This solid substance, crack, is removed and allowed to dry.
• Methamphetamine - A powerful illegal stimulant that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. It is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater.
• Opiates (such as heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone) - Opiates are made from opium, a white liquid in the poppy plant. They are also referred to as narcotics.
• Non-Prescription Methadone - Although chemically unlike morphine or heroin, methadone produces many of the same effects. Introduced as an analgesic (Dolophinel), it is primarily used today for the treatment of narcotic addiction. Non-prescription methadone is frequently encountered on the illicit market and has been associated with a number of overdose deaths.
• Marijuana / Hashish - A green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. ("Cannabis" refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant.) Hashish consists of the THC-rich resinous material of the cannabis plant, which is collected, dried, and then compressed into a variety of forms, such as balls, cakes, or cookie-like sheets. Pieces are then broken off, placed in pipes, and smoked.
• LSD - D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is the most potent hallucinogenic substance known to man. The dosage level that will produce a hallucinogenic effect in humans generally is considered to be 25 micrograms.
• PCP - Phencyclidine, more commonly known as PCP, is illicitly marketed under a number of other names including Angel Dust, Supergrass, Killer Weed, Embalming Fluid, and Rocket Fuel, reflecting the range of its bizarre and volatile effects. In its pure form, it is a white crystalline powder that readily dissolves in water.
• Inhalants - Inhalants are common household and workplace substances that are sniffed or huffed to give the user an immediate head rush or `high. Inhalants are "sniffed" from an open container or "huffed" from a rag soaked in the substance and held to the face. They include a diverse group of chemicals that are found in consumer products such as aerosols, plastic cement, nail polish remover, lighter fluid, hair spray, insecticides, and cleaning solvents.
• Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol-"roofies") - Flunitrazepam is a benzodiazepine that is used in the short-term treatment of insomnia and as a sedative hypnotic and pre-anesthetic medication. It has physiological effects similar to diazepam (commonly known by its trade name, Valium®), although flunitrazepam is approximately 10 times more potent.
• GHB or GBL (gamma hydroxybutyric acid) - A synthetic depressant produced in clandestine labs. GHB has become popular among teens and young adults at dance clubs and "raves." Body builders sometimes use GHB for its alleged anabolic effects.
• Ketamine - A dissociative general anesthetic for human and veterinary use, the only known source of ketamine is via diversion of pharmaceutical products. Ketamine, along with the other "club drugs," has become popular among teens and young adults at dance clubs and "raves." Ketamine produces physical effects similar to PCP, with the visual effects of LSD. Users report that it is better than PCP or LSD because the trip lasts an hour or less.
• Ecstasy (MDMA)-Ecstasy is a stimulant with hallucinogenic properties, the psychedelic effects of which can last between 4 and 6 hours. It is usually taken orally in pill form.
• Anabolic Steroid - Any drug or hormonal substance chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogen, progestins, and corticosteroids), that promotes muscle growth.

On Compass-

• Adult Alcohol & Drug Arrests
• Adult Alcohol Use
• Adult Tobacco Use
• Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities
• Juvenile Arrests
• Perinatal Alcohol and Tobacco Use
• Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

Outside Compass-

• Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, Colorado Department of Human Services, Colorado Drug and Alcohol Abuse Indicator Chart Book
• The Costs and Effectiveness of Substance Use Disorder Programs in the State of Colorado is a report to the General Assembly House and Senate Committees on Health and Human Services - submitted by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD), Colorado Department of Human Services, October 2006.
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD), Colorado Department of Human Services, Patterns And Trends In Drug Abuse in Denver and Colorado, 2007, Bruce Mendelson, MPA
• Childhelp Crystal Darkness, a 30-minute video aimed at youth and their families on the devastating effects of methamphetamine use in Colorado.
• Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies: The Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies (DATOS) were initiated in 1990 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to evaluate drug abuse treatment outcomes and emerging treatment issues in the United States. This is NIDA's third national outcome evaluation study of publicly-funded treatment.
• Drug Enforcement Administration - 2008 Colorado Fact Sheet
• Larimer Center for Mental Health
• The Meth Epidemic: The Changing Demographics of Methamphetamine, is an August 2007 report by NACo (National Association of Counties)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana: facts for teens
• National Institute on Drug Abuse, Methamphetamine Abuse and Addiction
• National Institute on Drug Abuse, Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents
• State of Colorado Methamphetamine Task Force Second Annual Report, January 2008
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
• World Health Organization, Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence

Industry Standards or Targets:

Healthy People 2010:

• Objective 26-22: Increase the proportion of persons who are referred for follow-up care for alcohol problems, drug problems, or suicide attempts after diagnosis or treatment for one of these conditions in a hospital emergency department.
• Objective 26-20: Increase the number of admissions to substance abuse treatment for injection drug use.
• Objective 26-19: Increase the proportion of inmates receiving substance abuse treatment in correctional institutions.
• Objective 26-18: Reduce the treatment gap for illicit drugs in the general population.

Data Tables:

Treatment by Primary Substance, Colorado & Larimer County

Treatment Admissions - Including Alcohol	Colorado	Larimer	Colorado	Larimer	Colorado	Larimer
Substance Type	2006	2006	2007	2007	2008	2008
Alcohol	4,525	374	11,277	479	11,390	676
Marijuana	5,668	248	5,983	325	5,907	444
Cocaine	3,482	47	3,449	77	3,177	75
Methamphetamine	5,072	383	5,079	301	4,357	337
Heroin	1,276	35	1,242	41	1,158	68
Other Opiates	825	43	973	80	1,075	100
Other	349	17	416	17	466	18
Total	28,197	1,147	28,419	1,320	27,530	1,718

*'Other' includes sedatives, other stimulates, hallucinogens and club drugs.

Treatment by Primary Substance, Excluding Alcohol-Colorado & Larimer County, 2008

Drug Type	Larimer County
Marijuana / Hashish	444
Methamphetamine/Other Amphetamines	337
Heroin	68
Other Opiate/ Synthetic Opiate	100
Cocaine / Crack	75
Other Stimulants	3
Other	15

See chart

Treatment by Age-Colorado & Larimer County

		Colorado	Larimer County	Colorado	Larimer County	Colorado	Larimer County
Age	Number/%	2006	2006	2007	2007	2008	2008
17 & Under	Number	2,658	104	2,417	140	2,246	201
	%	9.4	9.1	8.5	10.6	8.2	11.7
18 thru 24	Number	5,970	264	5,607	285	5,391	431
	%	21.2	23.0	19.7	21.6	19.6	25.1
25 thru 34	Number	7,988	391	8,320	389	8,252	512
	%	28.3	34.1	29.3	29.5	30.0	29.8
35 thru 44	Number	6,756	233	6,779	304	6,370	311
	%	24.0	20.3	23.9	23.0	23.1	18.1
45 thru 54	Number	3,852	130	4,272	179	4,139	218
	%	13.7	11.3	15.0	13.6	15.0	12.7
55 thru 64	Number	848	23	876	22	993	44
	%	3.0	2.0	3.1	1.7	3.6	2.6
65 & Over	Number	125	2	148	1	140	1
	%	0.4	0.2	0.5	0.1	0.5	0.1
Total	Number	28,197	1,147	28,419	1,320	27,531	1,718
	%	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0

See chart

Treatment by Gender-Colorado & Larimer County

Larimer County
Gender	Number/%	2006	2007	2008
Male	Number	752	886	1,189
	Percentage	65.6	67.1	69.2
Female	Number	395	434	529
	Percentage	34.4	32.9	30.8
Total	Number	1,147	1,320	1,718
	Percentage	100.0	100.0	100.0
Colorado
Gender	Number/%	2006	2007	2008
Male	Number	18,681	18,809	18,185
	Percentage	66.3	66.2	66.1
Female	Number	9,512	9,612	9,345
	Percentage	33.7	33.8	33.9
Total	Number	28,197	28,419	27,351
	Percentage	100.0	100.0	100.0

See chart

Treatment by Race/Ethnicity -Colorado & Larimer County

		Colorado	Larimer County	Colorado	Larimer County	Colorado	Larimer County
Race/Ethnicity	Number/%	2006	2006	2007	2007	2008	2008
White	Number	18,201	908	18,117	1,073	17,348	1,354
	%	64.5	79.2	63.7	81.3	63.0	78.8
Black	Number	2,229	17	2,274	41	2,176	28
	%	7.9	1.5	8.0	3.1	7.9	1.6
Amer Ind/ Alaskan	Number	803	30	740	37	721	46
	%	2.8	2.6	2.6	2.8	2.6	2.7
Asian	Number	143	2	144	2	162	9
	%	0.5	0.2	0.5	0.2	0.6	0.5
Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander	Number	100	2	78	0	95	1
	%	0.4	0.2	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.1
Hispanic/Latino	Number	6,510	187	6,854	161	6,853	279
	%	23.1	16.3	24.1	12.2	24.9	16.2
Other Non Hispanic	Number	211	1	212	6	176	1
	%	0.7	0.1	0.7	0.5	0.6	0.1
Total	Number	28,197	1,147	28,419	1,320	27,531	1,718
	%	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0

See chart

© 2004-2009 Larimer County | About | Newsletter | Site Map | Feedback