Drug And Alcohol Addiction In Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California is no different than the rest of the nation in its battle against the Opioid epidemic. However, while much of our country is worried about the abuse of prescription Opioids, Santa Ana, along with the rest of Orange County, is seeing a spike in Heroin use. Given the dangers that come with shared needles, many states have implemented needle exchanges to help those addicted stay healthy and stop the spread of diseases.
Luckily, the state of California is home to numerous rehab and treatment facilities that specialize in various forms of addiction and abuse recovery, some of which are very close to Santa Ana.
The Needle Exchange In Santa Ana
In 2016, the volunteer-run Orange County Needle Exchange Program opened. As is typical for needle exchanges, it provided clean, fresh syringes for people to use, while properly disposing of their used, infected needles. Many studies have shown that not only does this help with the spread of diseases, but it actually promotes people entering treatment.
The first thing she did was smile at me and ask me how I was. I don’t know why that had such an impact on me. But it was the first time someone had treated me with dignity and humanity in a very, very long time.
Santa Ana has seen the highest rate of new HIV diagnosis in Orange County, at 20.6 per 100,000 people. With the lack of clean needles available, people who suffer from addiction reuse and share old needles, and further the spread of HIV; a devastatingly vicious cycle of two illnesses: disease and addiction . Within Orange County, there has also been an explosion in the number of people diagnosed with Hepatitis C, increasing 201.2% from 2011 to 2015.
While city officials report that the needle exchange caused more litter and proliferated Heroin use, there was no substantial data to back up their claims.
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Santa Ana Statistics
20.6
HIV rate
As of 2018, 20.6 people per 100,000 are diagnosed with HIV in Orange County, California.
20.8
death rate
From 2013 – 2015, 20.8 people per 100,000 on average died in Santa Ana from drug or alcohol related causes.
415
hospitalizations
415 people were hospitalized due to drugs in 2015.
It is not just the spread of disease that the people of Santa Ana should be worried about. Deaths in Orange County are growing, despite promising numbers in Santa Ana. Drug-related deaths in Santa Ana fell from 76 in 2014 to 68 in 2015. However, these numbers also don’t tell the whole story as they do not account for drug-related hospitalizations. Over a 15-year period, between 2000 and 2015, overdose deaths rose 88% in Orange County; more than half were due to prescription misuse.
Finding Treatment In Santa Ana
Santa Ana, and the rest of California is often a place people retreat to for vacation. But if you suffer from an addiction, it may not be the sunny paradise that it is for others. What you may need is a change that pulls you out of your old life and into a new chapter. If you are looking for treatment for you or a loved one but don’t know where to turn, contact a treatment provider today. They are available around the clock to answer any questions you might have about the process of recovery.
