Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Hawaii near top for alcohol abuse

A survey finds the state has the lowest number of residents with an illegal drug dependency

Hawaii has one of the nation’s highest rates of alcohol addiction but ranks as the state with the least drug dependence, according to a federal government survey released yesterday.

More than four out of 100 people over 12 years old in Hawaii are addicted to alcohol, says the study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

That puts Hawaii ahead of only Montana and the District of Columbia, and worse than the national average of 3.4 per 100 people.

Only 1.4 percent of Hawaii residents acknowledged illicit drug dependence, which beats every other state in the survey conducted in 2006 and 2007. Nationwide, 1.9 percent said they were addicted to drugs.

“While that rate of dependence on drugs is low, it’s just the opposite for dependence on alcohol,” said Art Hughes, a co-author of the report with the Office of Applied Studies.

The study can be used by Hawaii health officials to determine how to prioritize their resources for fighting drug and alcohol addiction and abuse, Hughes said.

Alcohol abuse is Hawaii’s most widespread problem, but crystal methamphetamine dependence has more quick and severe consequences, said Alan Johnson, chief executive of Hina Mauka substance-abuse treatment center.

“With alcohol, you have a lot of people who are abusing but haven’t reached the addiction yet,” Johnson said. “But when you get down to treatment of those having disasters and consequences to their families and themselves, you see the ice addicts coming in.”

More people are admitted to drug-abuse treatment centers for ice — the street name for crystal meth — than alcohol and marijuana, said Johnson, chairman of the Hawaii Substance Abuse Council.

It often takes years for alcohol abusers to develop a debilitating addiction, but ice smokers have a 65 percent of becoming addicted after their third use, Johnson said.

source: Star bulletin

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Most substance abusers seek treatment for drugs

People who go into substance-abuse treatment in North Carolina are more likely to be involved with drugs than with alcohol, according to a new federal report released today. However, help is more easily available for alcohol abuse, the report says. During the past 15 years, the report says, more North Carolinians are being admitted to….

The Genetics of Alcohol Abuse

DNA plays a role in the amount of alcohol you drink, researchers say. Among alcohol-dependent (AD) individuals, DNA variations in the brains serotonergic system influence drinking intensity. Specifically the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) contributes to a persons inclination to drink. Researchers analyzed the associations between 275 AD patients seeking treatment and six variations of SLC6A4…..

The Disease Model of Addiction

If I went to my doctor with a set of symptoms, no one would question the fact that I was sick. No one would impose a moral judgment on me for having those symptoms, and I wouldn’t be viewed as a law breaker for being ill. But many people reject the idea of addiction as….

Binge Drinking Clogs Arteries With Plaque

The specific pathway through which binge drinking contributes to clogged arteries has been identified by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers. Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, which is mostly converted into acetaldehyde. The Rochester team found that binge drinking-related levels of acetaldehyde make immune cells called monocyctes more likely to stick to blood vessel walls and….

How Bulimia Treatment Improves Your Health

With weight loss or avoiding weight gain as the primary goal, bulimia drives many women (and a few men) to take drastic measures to attain an “ideal” body weight. According to Harvard Health Publications, an estimated one out of every 100 women will develop bulimia in their lifetime, whereas bulimia rates for men equal one-tenth….