We’re now in a new year, but that doesn’t mean we’ve completely left 2018 in the past. We’re now getting the opportunity to look at some startling facts from last year. The US is still struggling with an opiate epidemic, and now a new generation is facing astounding numbers of nicotine addiction. Here are the 10 most common addictions Americans struggled with in 2018.
Nicotine
Nicotine addiction might not seem as bad as other substances, but it’s one of the hardest addictions to kick. Nicotine, the addictive element in tobacco, is legal and easy to get. While cigarette-smoking usage has gone down, a new generation of teens is beginning to develop nicotine addictions thanks to vaping. There were over 40 million people in the US with nicotine addictions last year.
Alcohol
Alcohol is socially acceptable in the US. This makes alcohol addiction hard to spot, especially since there are functional alcoholics. While alcohol may be legal, it’s still highly abused. In fact, in 2018 there were 18 million people with alcohol addiction. Alcohol abuse has a number of health risks so contact us today begin alcohol detox today.
Marijuana
Marijuana is in a legal grey zone recently, with it being legal in some states, decriminalized in others, and still highly illegal in others. This drug has a number of medical benefits, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be abused. Around 4.2 million people had marijuana addictions last year. However, because this one can’t overdose from marijuana it isn’t as deadly and other addictions.
Painkillers
Prescription painkillers such as codeine, Vicodin, and Oxycontin are highly addictive. Although they’re legally prescribed to treat pain, they’re also heavily abused. Most people who are addicted to pills started to abuse them after originally getting them for legitimate means. Still, 1.8 million people are suffering from painkiller addictions.
Cocaine
The number of cocaine addicts in the US has been dropping, which is great. However, the decline is slow and there are still 821,000 people with cocaine addictions in America. While pure cocaine is expensive and harder to come by, crack cocaine is cheaper and more potent and is responsible for many crippling addictions.
Heroin
Rates of heroin addiction have been increasing ever since the US shut down a number of “pill mills”. When people could no longer obtain prescriptions for opiates, they turned to the next best thing- heroin. Heroin is extremely deadly, especially since today most of it is cut with fentanyl. Addiction rates keep going up as well.
Benzodiazepines
Often called “benzos”, this class of drug includes popular prescription pills such as Valium, Xanax, Diazepam, and Klonopin. These are mood-regulating drugs often prescribed to manage anxiety and stress. Many people who develop an addiction to these drugs don’t realize they’re doing so. These drugs are especially dangerous as they alter the brain’s chemical makeup, so if you’re struggling with a benzo addiction contact us right away.
We offer a variety of different outpatient detox options for patients suffering from drug addiction. Our suboxone treatment has proven to be highly effective at rapidly detoxing patients with minimal side effects. Call us to at 561-465-6993 to make an appointment.