Drinking and drug use increases an individual's risk of poor health outcomes, including motor vehicle crashes and unintentional injuries, and is often a contributing factor in child abuse, domestic violence, suicide and homicide. The availability of treatment can be a critical factor in helping people recover from addiction.

While overall admissions to substance abuse treatment have been fairly flat over the past decade, admissions related to heroin use skyrocketed 195% in the region, rising from about 2,160 in 2007 to over 6,300 in 2018. That was a larger increase than seen at the state level, where heroin-related admissions rose 37% over the time frame. The percentage increase was even larger in the counties surrounding Monroe, at 429%, growing to more than 2,200 in 2018. However, alcohol admissions were still the largest share at 35% of the total admissions in the region, followed by heroin admissions at 30%, marijuana-related admissions at 17%, cocaine 11% and other opioids 6%.

National data were not available. People may or may not live in the counties where they go for treatment for substance abuse. Changes in the number of treatment admissions can reflect a number of factors, including the need for treatment, availability of programs, and payer policies.