The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) has released a report looking at the trends in admissions for substance use treatment over the decade spanning 1998 to 2008. According to the report, patterns in treatment admissions have seen some interesting and significant changes in recent years.

The major drugs of abuse have stayed the same: alcohol, opiates (primarily heroin), marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine/amphetamine. However, the proportion of people being treated for certain drugs is changing, reflecting the changing trends in substance abuse in the United States.

Some of the major findings:
• Admissions for drug abuse are increasing, while those for alcohol abuse are decreasing. Specifically:
? Admissions for co-abuse of alcohol and drugs declined from 44% of all admissions to 38%.
? Admissions for drug abuse alone rose from 26% to 37%.
? Admission for alcohol abuse alone declined from 27% to 23%
• Opiate admissions rose from 16% of all admissions to 20%.
? Heroin accounted for 93% of opiate admissions in 1998 but was down to 71% of opiate admissions in 2008, suggesting that opiates other than heroin are becoming more popular.
• Marijuana admissions rose from 13% to 17%.
• Admissions for cocaine decreased from 15% to 11%.

The nature of drug and alcohol addiction continues to change, even as it remains a significant struggle for many. This data, reported by substance abuse treatment facilities across the United States, gives us an idea of the way substance abuse is evolving in the country. Treatment providers can gain insight into what addictions their clients are likely to face, and people with substance abuse disorders can see that they are not alone in requiring treatment.