Woodbridge Township is a populous city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Like many others in the northeastern United States, the years-long opioid crisis has impacted this area. Opioids have the potential to affect the overall health of a community, and the well-being of its residents. Learn more about opioid treatment in Woodbridge Township and why it’s important for addressing opioid use disorders.
How Opioid Addiction Is Affecting Woodbridge Township
New Jersey experienced 2,900 overdose deaths in 2018, and 90 percent of those involved opioids, totaling 2,583 deaths. The misuse of prescription opioids and the use of illicit substances like heroin are a factor in high opioid addiction and overdose rates. Misusing prescription opioids has been found to be a significant factor in later heroin use.
The powerful synthetic drug fentanyl is a major factor in opioid overdose deaths in places like Woodbridge Township and New Jersey as a whole. Fentanyl is often mixed into heroin and other drugs. The potent opioid can increase the perceived quality of the drug. However, it can also be deadly in doses as small as 2 mg (milligrams). People may take heroin, not knowing it has fentanyl in it, and experience a deadly overdose.
Opioid addiction can also contribute to community health problems like financial burdens related to healthcare, increased crime rates, and homelessness.
Woodbridge Township Substance Abuse Statistics
The availability of drugs in a city or state can contribute to the prevalence of substance use issues in places like Woodbridge Township. In New Jersey, healthcare providers wrote 38.9 opioids for every 100, which is much lower than the national average at 51.4. However, there is higher availability of illicit opioids.
In the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment, their New Jersey field division reports a high availability of heroin and a moderate availability of fentanyl and prescription opioids.
In 2016, there were 278 addiction treatment admissions where heroin was the primary drug of choice in Woodbridge Township. Other opioids made up 26 percent of cases.
Opioid Withdrawal and Treatment
Opioid use disorder is a chronic disease that affects the reward center of the brain. Without treatment, addiction likely worsens, and the person’s health deteriorates. However, even though there’s no cure for addiction, it can be successfully treated with medication, psychotherapy, and other approaches. Addiction treatment is a complex, multidisciplinary process that addresses medical, psychological, and social issues.
Effective addiction treatment is tailored to your specific needs, including underlying issues like mental health disorders. Opioid treatment may start with medical detox, which is designed to help you safely through the withdrawal process. Opioid withdrawal isn’t known to be deadly, but it can cause particularly uncomfortable flu-like symptoms. It can also cause dehydration, which can be dangerous if you can’t keep fluids down.
After detox, you may go through other levels of care, including inpatient and outpatient treatment. Treatment may also involve behavioral therapies, medications, and other psychotherapies based on your needs.
