Rehab Centers in Idaho Can Improve State’s Opioid Crisis
Drug overdose deaths in Idaho increased by 63% from 2006 to 2014, with a total of 1,544 deaths during that timeframe. Most of these deaths were caused by opioid painkillers, according to records that show Idaho doctors are prescribing opioids to three of every four residents. If opioid abuse rates continue to rise, rehab centers in Idaho could be able to help improve the state’s current opioid epidemic.
If you live in Idaho and are addicted to heroin or opioid painkillers, understand that you don’t have to overcome addiction on your own without help. Call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about addiction treatments and rehab centers in Idaho that can lead you along the path to improved health and sobriety.
Idaho’s Deadly Opioid Painkiller Industry
Idaho ranks 6th in the U.S. for receiving large political contributions from the Pain Control Forum, which is a group that promotes prescription painkillers as having the ability to improve the qualify of life for millions of Americans. From 2006 to 2015, the Pain Control Forum donated over $207,000 to Idaho political campaigns that influenced health-related committees or that set legislative agendas. Many now believe that these contributions have fueled rising opioid abuse rates in the state.
Idaho Senator Pro Tem Brent Hill received $4,000 from Pain Control Forum members over the last 10 years, but doesn’t think the donations have lent to opioid abuse rates. Hill says his administration has never discussed promoting opioid use or making the drugs more available to residents. However, Hill says it might be necessary to educate prescribers of less addictive and dangerous alternatives to opioids, and that physicians can start prescribing fewer opioids than a 30-day supply.
Idaho isn’t the only state that has political campaigns being influenced by Pain Control Forum and other pharmaceutical organizations. Nationwide, prescription drugmakers have donated over $880 million to politicians who can influence state and federal policies. At present, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., with opioid addiction driving the epidemic.
How Rehab Centers Address Opioid Addiction
Rehab centers that treat opioid addiction can help addicts stop taking opioids for good, and teach them how to cope and succeed in the real world after treatment. Rehab facilities do much more than help opioid addicts achieve sobriety, in that they offer counseling, recreational activities, and ongoing education about addiction and opioids. Patients learn how to manage their physical, mental, and emotional well-beings without drugs so they can get back to living happy, fulfilling lives following rehab.
Shortly after enrolling into opioid rehab, patients undergo detoxification to remove heroin, opioids, and other toxins from their bodies. Some rehab centers prescribe patients medications to help curb cravings and reduce the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms. Other rehab centers help patients get through detox by focusing on nutrition and regular physical activity.
Following detox, patients receive counseling and participate in individual and group therapy sessions that explore underlying causes of addiction. When treatment has ended, ongoing aftercare meetings help recovering opioid addicts stay informed about addiction and drug trends so they can stay sober and avoid relapsing. To help lower the state’s opioid overdose death rates, rehab centers in Idaho can offer patients the treatment and education they need to achieve lifelong sobriety.
If you or someone you know is addicted to opioid painkillers, call our helpline right away at 888-414-2380 to speak with a caring treatment specialist. We’ll provide you with the resources you need to locate rehab centers in Idaho that specialize in treating your addiction.