Idaho Methamphetamine Admissions Outpace Alcohol and Marijuana April 16, 2008
News Summary
A nationwide study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows treatment admissions for methamphetamine use increasing faster than those from both alcohol and marijuana in Idaho, the Boise Weekly reported April 16.
The data show a 35 percent increase in methamphetamine admissions, compared with a 22.5 percent increase for admissions related to alcohol use and a 23 percent increase for marijuana.
The study, based on treatment admissions data from 2004 to 2005 and 2005 to 2006, notes a nationwide increase in rates of underage binge and chronic drinking, drug and tobacco use, and substance abuse. The Idaho statistics for substances other than alcohol and methamphetamines fall slightly below overall national averages.
"There were no surprises for us," said Bethany Gadzinski, bureau chief for substance-abuse disorders at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The agency recently completed a federally funded three-year Access to Recovery program.
This news summary has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction, April 17, 2008
An error in the source story was reproduced in our summary as originally published. The Boise Weekly article conflated treatment admissions from a substance with the overall prevalence of use of that substance. We have revised our summary to correct this.
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