Substance Use Treatment Admissions Have Significantly Changed

Over the past decade, there have been significant changes in some patterns of substance use treatment admissions according to a new study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Between 1998 and 2008, treatment admissions for the abuse of drugs and alcohol declined from 44 percent to 38 percent; however the abuse of both substances has remained in tact. The study discovered some trends in treatment admissions found in teenagers. SAMHSA.com reports that, "The survey also showed that admissions for substance abuse treatment among those aged 12-17 increased by 13 percent between 1998 and 2002, but declined by 10 percent between 2002 and 2008. In addition, about four in five (79 percent) of adolescent treatment admissions involved marijuana as a primary or secondary substance, and almost half (48 percent) were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system...In 2000 only 24 percent of those 16 and older in treatment were unemployed in 2008 37 percent of people in this treatment age group were unemployed." The leaders of this survey hope these results will aid them in developing "more effective treatment programs."