Expert Insights
Pharmaceutical companies are finally paying out settlements for their role in the opioid epidemic. Chicago is slotted to receive around $78 million. With these funds, policy makers are supposed to strengthen programs that address the opioid crisis. Solutions that Chicago officials are looking at include expansion of medication assisted recovery programs and distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips. While there may be merit to some of these efforts, I see a red flag waving in the Windy City. These programs are giving the money right back to big pharma. Maybe we could focus more on non-drug-related solutions? Or use some of these funds to support families who have lost someone to overdose? Wouldn’t that be better than repadding the wallets of pharmaceutical execs?
~ Kerry Nenn
How Much Does Drug Rehab Cost in Chicago?
Substance abuse costs the United States approximately $600 billion annually, but treatment can help to alleviate these costs. Nationally, the average cost of a one-year methadone maintenance program is $126.00 per week or $6,552.00 per year.
Drug and alcohol rehabs in Chicago can vary in cost depending on the type of care utilized and the length of the programs. For example:
The cost of medical detoxification can average $12,183 per episode.
Intensive outpatient programs can average $4,939 per episode.
Typical outpatient programs can average $2,228 per episode.
Residential options are the most expensive, averaging $32,523 per episode.
Chicago Drug Use Statistics
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States, with a population of nearly three million people. From January to June 2020, there were 7,301 opioid-related EMS responses and 573 opioid-related deaths. Of those opioid-related overdose deaths, more than 80 percent of them involved fentanyl.
To combat this problem, there are nearly 300 accredited alcohol and drug rehab centers in Chicago. Whether you are looking for a free, luxury, or specialized addiction treatment center, you’ll find it in the Windy City.
In 2020, approximately 15% of adults in Illinois reported excessive alcohol consumption, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health, Healthy Chicago Survey 2017. Among different races, approximately 15.7% of White people reported excessive drinking, 12% of Black people, 15% of Hispanic people, and 12.7% of Asian people.
Those with a college degree were more likely to binge drink than those with only a high school diploma. Males were more likely to report excessive drinking than females at 18.1% vs. 11.8%. Excessive drinking was also reported higher among those who were 18–44 years of age.
Over 3,000 deaths annually are attributed to excessive alcohol use in Illinois, with over 72% of those deaths occurring in males. Over half of the alcohol-related deaths in Illinois are due to long-term alcohol abuse.
A higher number of adults – 60% – report alcohol use in Chicago compared to alcohol use nationally.
There were 5,687 inpatient hospitalizations in Chicago due to alcohol-related disorders.
There were 18,224 emergency room visits with a primary diagnosis of alcohol-related disorder.
There were 223 alcohol-induced deaths and another 257 deaths from liver disease and cirrhosis.
Alcohol Rehab Admissions in Chicago
In 2020, there were 36,188 admissions into treatment facilities in the state of Illinois. 5,371 of these admissions were alcohol-only admissions, while 6,236 admissions were based on alcohol as well as a secondary drug.
Of the alcohol-only Illinois admissions, 70% were male, and 29.6% were female. 80% of alcohol-only admissions were non-Hispanic, with over 65% being White, over 20% being Black, over 18% being Hispanic, and less than 1% being Native American or Asian and Pacific Islander.
The majority of alcohol-only admissions, about 15.6%, were among those 31–35 years of age.
Although 6.7% of Americans who drink alcohol will develop an alcohol use disorder (AUD), research shows that Chicago alcohol admissions are increasing, which can offer you hope in reaching your goal of recovery.
The most-reported drug use came from people between the ages of 18–25 who also reported abusing prescription painkillers in the past year. What’s more, the vast majority of heroin seized by the Chicago authorities contained the powerful and deadly opioid, fentanyl.
Data received from city, county, state, and federal resources – including the Illinois Department of Public Health – shows the following about drug use in Chicago:
In 2018, approximately 79% of all drug overdose deaths in Illinois were directly related to opioids.
25% of all opioid-related overdose deaths were caused by fentanyl alone.
In 2021, about 90% of Chicago’s opioid-related overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
40% of all poly-substance overdose deaths from January–June 2021 involved cocaine and an opioid.
Drug Rehab Admissions in Chicago
Over 33,000 people were admitted into Illinois facilities in 2020. These admissions were mainly for heroin (8,879 admissions), marijuana (4,972 admissions), amphetamines (4,213 admissions), and cocaine (2,399 admissions).
Among Illinois drug admissions, the majority were male, ranging from over 60% to 100%, depending on the type of drug the individual admitted was using. As an exception, females were the majority with drug admission related to other (nonspecific) stimulants.
The ages of those entering addiction treatment centers varied depending on the type of drug being used. The majority of admissions ranged from ages 12–17 for marijuana to 51–55 for smoked cocaine.
White people were the majority in most of the drug-related admissions, with notable exceptions for admissions for smoked cocaine and PCP, which was higher in Black people. Hispanic people accounted for 6.5%–25.5%, depending on the drug, while Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander peoples accounted for the lowest number of drug admissions.
Alcohol and Drug Laws in Chicago
Illinois policymakers have established these laws concerning substances:
Drug Possession: In Illinois, possession of drugs (except cannabis) is a felony in all cases. Felony charges may lead to time in jail and a lifelong felony record.
Good Samaritan Law: The Emergency Medical Services Access Law of 2012 is the Good Samaritan Law in Illinois. This law encourages people to seek emergency medical help when someone is overdosing. If an Illinois resident calls 911 or brings someone to an emergency room for an overdose, both the victim who is overdosing and the person seeking help are protected from being prosecuted for felony possession of small amounts of drugs.
Pretrial Fairness Act: Effective Jan 1, 2023, this law gives discretion to police officers who catch people with small amounts of drugs to release them with a citation that orders them to appear in court within three weeks. This is a change from the previous law, which put that person immediately in jail for a few days until they were brought before a judge.
DUI Laws: Drivers are considered under the influence in Illinois if they have a BAC of .08 or higher, have a THC concentration of either 5 nanograms or more per milliliter of whole blood or 10 nanograms or more per milliliter of other bodily substance, have used any other controlled substance, or are impaired by medication. A first conviction of DUI is a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum penalty of suspension of driving privileges and vehicle registration for one year.
Resources
- Chicago Department of Public Health. (June 2019). Alcohol Use and Outcomes in Chicago.
- Illinois Department of Health. (2019). The Opioid Crisis in Illinois: Data and the State’s Response.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?
- Center for Medicare Advocacy. (2022). Medicare Coverage of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- Staudt, S. (2022, June 15). Dynamics of drug possession charges in Illinois, from investigatory stops to sentences. Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. https://www.chicagoappleseed.org/2022/06/15/dynamics-of-drug-possession-charges-in-illinois/
