Health
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, 2017


Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, 2017

What does this measure?

The number of people from a geographic area (county, city or town) admitted to alcohol/substance abuse treatment centers anywhere in the state, expressed as a rate per 10,000 residents.

Why is this important?

Drinking and drug use increases an individual's risk of poor health outcomes, including motor vehicle crashes and unintentional injuries, and is often a contributing factor in child abuse, domestic violence, suicide and homicide. The availability of treatment can be a critical factor in helping people recover from addiction.

How is our county doing?

Essex had 135 admissions to treatment per 10,000 residents in 2017, down 15% from 2008 but below the state rate of 144. In both Essex and the state, heroin and opioids were the most common primary drug of use for admissions, making up about 55% of all admissions. Alcohol was the next most common primary drug, making up about 34%. Heroin was also the fastest growing category, with admissions increasing 20% to 5,200 in 2017. By contrast, admissions for cocaine treatment declined 60% from 2008 to 2017 to 380.

Marijuana and crack/cocaine admissions were among the lowest rates both state and county-wide, averaging only around 8% of admissions when combined.

Within Essex County, the Town of Andover had the lowest total admission rate (44 per 10,000 residents) in 2017, followed by North Andover (65), Marblehead (70) and Newburyport (83). City of Lynn (221) and Town of Saugus (198) had the highest rates. Within all the towns, heroin and alcohol abuse were the top reasons for admission.

How do we compare to similar counties?

Middlesex, MA had 78 admissions per 10,000 residents, about 57% less than Essex's rate and little changed since 2008. Essex's admission rate for heroin, 67, was far higher than in Middlesex (39) as was its admission rate for alcohol, 46 in Essex compared to 28 in Middlesex. Comparable data was not available for Lake, IL and Westchester, NY.

Notes about the data

The state did not disclose admissions data for some cities/towns and for some substance categories with low numbers, for confidentiality reasons. CGR aggregated local data to produce totals for counties, but the suppression of some small localities or substance categories means that county-level admissions by substance do not sum exactly to total county admissions. National data were not available.

Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, 2017
AlcoholCrack/CocaineHeroinMarijuanaOtherOther OpioidsOther Sedatives/HypnoticsOther StimulantsTotal
Essex County, MA4656761821135
Amesbury574746148
Beverly68453863142
Gloucester60573694160
Haverhill6179411144191
Lawrence3471031072164
Lynn69111188113221
Methuen32361652108
Newburyport4827683
Peabody40674593139
Salem65374893163
Andover17193444
Danvers414945104
Ipswich445466113
Marblehead34167970
North Andover33243465
Salisbury426126613196
Saugus571410061163198
Middlesex County, MA282393041078
Massachusetts4767650721144

Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
Notes: Rates are per 10,000 residents. Data was not disclosed for all substances and geographies.




Number of Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, 2017
AlcoholCrack/CocaineHeroinMarijuanaOtherOther OpioidsOther Sedatives/HypnoticsOther StimulantsTotal
Essex County, MA3,6233805,218486425921804210,563
Amesbury100713011258
Beverly28415220322512597
Gloucester18116221182813484
Haverhill385415996991271,219
Lawrence273558217756181,312
Lynn6521001,11175102312,077
Methuen1611530528278544
Newburyport864810150
Peabody21332390294818737
Salem28014321344012704
Andover60671113159
Danvers1131351015287
Ipswich617688158
Marblehead70321519144
North Andover10375811201
Salisbury396118612184
Saugus161402831832167558
Middlesex County, MA4,4763756,239488506132136312,503
Massachusetts32,4544,05752,2423,4632974,5511,48449598,944

Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
Notes: Data was not disclosed for all substances and geographies.




Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, 2008
AlcoholCrack/CocaineHeroinMarijuanaOtherOther OpioidsOther Sedatives/HypnoticsOther StimulantsTotal
Essex County, MA611359911020154
Amesbury102144984180
Beverly51732511108
Gloucester661062613160
Haverhill76134414181158
Lawrence70186616132177
Lynn8128138171631284
Methuen4573585101
Newburyport4511194485
Peabody536827184170
Salem8315437122163
Andover26317755
Danvers631041513133
Ipswich5412778
Marblehead41193470
North Andover373155263
Salisbury8631941025248
Saugus1005923116364449
Swampscott49928613104
Middlesex County, MA406367071097
Massachusetts641259911110157

Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
Notes: Rates are per 10,000 residents. Data was not disclosed for all substances and geographies.




Number of Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, 2008
AlcoholCrack/CocaineHeroinMarijuanaOtherOther OpioidsOther Sedatives/HypnoticsOther StimulantsTotal
Essex County, MA4,4589534,356681457151252311,343
Amesbury1652379137291
Beverly200291261944423
Gloucester190281791637460
Haverhill45577266868507952
Lawrence527138495122823131,328
Lynn7252471,2361551422852,544
Methuen207341603721466
Newburyport78193377146
Peabody26730413348819856
Salem3396317529489667
Andover8595523181
Danvers163251061334347
Ipswich70169102
Marblehead813767138
North Andover103943146176
Salisbury702577820202
Saugus2631556084396111,183
Swampscott671338818144
Middlesex County, MA5,8498995,307970719701285714,265
Massachusetts41,5937,62737,9326,1024076,915915305101,695

Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
Notes: Data was not disclosed for all substances and geographies.




INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY
Prevalence of Overweight Adults Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Preterm Births Increasing
Infant Mortality Rate Maintaining
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels Decreasing
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Child Abuse and Neglect Increasing
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Live Births to Teen Mothers Decreasing
Youth Arrests Decreasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Maintaining
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment Maintaining
Tourism Spending Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Charitable Contributions Maintaining
Protected Land Not Applicable
Days with Good Air Quality Increasing
Beach Contamination Increasing
Daily Water Use per Resident Decreasing
Crimes Against People Maintaining
Crimes Against Property Decreasing
Drug-Related Arrests Maintaining
Reports of Domestic Violence Increasing
Incarceration Rates Decreasing
Recidivism Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Traffic Injuries and Fatalities Maintaining
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age/Sex Not Applicable
People 65 or Older Living Alone Decreasing
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Households by Type Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Sex Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Increasing
Change in Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Median Earnings by Occupation by Gender Not Applicable
People Entering/Leaving County for Work Not Applicable
Employer Size Not Applicable
Self-Employment Revenue Increasing
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Female Enrollment in School Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
Per-Student Spending Increasing
Bullying Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Income in Relation to Poverty Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Increasing
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Living Wage Rate by Household Type Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Increasing
Households Receiving Federal Food Assistance Increasing
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Earned Income Tax Credit Participation Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students Increasing
Median Home Value Increasing
Housing Affordability for Homeowners Increasing
Housing Affordability for Renters Increasing
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeless Persons Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Medical Care Expenses Increasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma Maintaining
Prevalence of Overweight Children Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence Decreasing
Chronic Disease Among Older Adults Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Cancer Mortality Rate Decreasing
Heart Disease Mortality Rate Decreasing
Mortality Rate Decreasing
People who Smoke Not Applicable
Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Youth Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Not Applicable
Drug Overdose Mortality Rate Increasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Suicide Rate Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable