Focus Area: Substance Use

The top priority for Klamath County residents who took the 2021 Community Health Assessment survey was addressing substance use.

 

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. When you're addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes.

Drug addiction can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations, and, for some people, the drug use becomes more frequent. For others, particularly with opioids, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines or receive them from others who have prescriptions.

The risk of addiction and how fast you become addicted varies by drug. Some drugs, such as opioid painkillers, have a higher risk and cause addiction more quickly than others.

As time passes, you may need larger doses of the drug to get high. Soon you may need the drug just to feel good. As your drug use increases, you may find that it's increasingly difficult to go without the drug. Attempts to stop drug use may cause intense cravings and make you feel physically ill. These are called withdrawal symptoms.

Help from your health care provider, family, friends, support groups or an organized treatment program can help you overcome your drug addiction and stay drug-free.

 

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Overarching Goal

Full Community Health Improvement Plan substance use focus area information

Click here to access the substance use pages of the 2022-25 Klamath County Community Health Improvement Plan.

Reports

Click here to access the Progress Report.

Click here to access the Community Health Improvement Plan work plan.

Lead agency

Klamath County Public Health.

Baseline

In the 2022 County Rankings & Roadmaps, the drug overdose death rate was 41 per 100,000 people. 20% of Klamath County adults reported excessive drinking. Also, 19% of adults were smokers.

Benchmarks

By October 2025 reduce drug overdose deaths by three per 100,000 population, reduce binge drinking by 5% and reduce adult smokers by 5%.

 
 
Objectives

Objective 1

Support and collaborate in community prevention activities.

Objective 2

Support and collaborate in community drug overdose prevention plan.

 
Assets & Resources

Local agencies, which include, but are not limited to Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services’ Youth & Family Guidance Center, KBBH, Red is the Road to Wellness, The Stronghold, LCS, Best Care, Klamath Health Partnership, and Sky Lakes Medical Center.

 
State and National Efforts

Healthy People 2030

The initiative provides the following leading health indicators, goal and nationwide context:

  • Drug overdose deaths (Leading Health Indicator).

  • Adults engaging in binge drinking of alcoholic beverages during past 30 days (Leading Health Indicator).

Goal: Reduce misuse of drugs and alcohol

More than 20 million adults and adolescents in the United States have had a substance use disorder in the past year1. Healthy People 2030 focuses on preventing drug and alcohol misuse and helping people with substance use disorders get the treatment they need.

Substance use disorders can involve illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or alcohol. Opioid use disorders have become especially problematic in recent years. Substance use disorders are linked to many health problems, and overdoses can lead to emergency department visits and deaths.

Effective treatments for substance use disorders are available, but very few people get the treatment they need. Strategies to prevent substance use — especially in adolescents — and help people get treatment can reduce drug and alcohol misuse, related health problems, and deaths.

 
1 Lipari, R.N., & Van Horn, S.L. (2017). Trends in Substance Use Disorders Among Adults Aged 18 or Older. The CBHSQ Report. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28792721