Admission to Recovery Services for Adults and Youths Declined During Five-Year Period
A broad spectrum of public health and safety problems can be directly linked to the disease of substance use disorder (SUD), including addiction, traffic accidents, domestic violence, crime, unintended pregnancy, and serious conditions such as cancer, liver disease, HIV/AIDS, and birth defects. Youth who engage in drinking and substance use early are more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life and are more likely to experience changes in brain development that may have life-long effects, including problems with memory and normal growth and development.[1] This indicator presents a variety of commonly used indicators to help gauge the extent of SUD in San Bernardino County. These include trends in SUD-related admissions to County recovery facilities, serious (injury or fatal) alcohol-involved auto collisions, and SUD-related deaths including fentanyl-related deaths.
TREND
SUD Recovery Services for Adults
SUD-related admissions for adults (18 years and older) to County recovery facilities stayed relatively stable between 2022/23 (5,427 admissions) and 2023/24 (5,443 admissions) yet remain down 9% from five years ago (2019/20 – 2023/24). Over this five-year period, there was a 690% increase in admissions for “other drugs,” which may include tranquilizers, sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, or other drugs. Admissions for cocaine rose by 30% and opiate admissions increased by 3%. Meanwhile, there were double-digit decreases for admissions for methamphetamines and alcohol. Despite the rapid increase in admissions for other drugs, admissions for other drugs is the second lowest cause of admissions after cocaine. In 2023/24, opiates and methamphetamines accounted for the highest proportion of adult admissions, 36% and 27%, respectively.
SUD-RELATED ADMISSIONS TO RECOVERY DECREASE FOR ALCOHOL, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND CANNABIS
Number of Alcohol- and Drug-Related Adult Admissions to County-Funded Recovery Services in San Bernardino County, 2020-2024
SUD Recovery Services for Youth
SUD-related admissions for youth (under the age of 18) to County recovery facilities declined 11% between 2022/23 and 2023/24 and dropped 23% since 2019/20. Over the past five years, there was an eleven-fold increase in admissions for other drugs and a seven-fold increase in opiate-related youth admissions, but cannabis and methamphetamine related admissions declined over the same period. Cannabis and opiates accounted for the greatest proportion of youth admissions at 70% and 12%, respectively.
SUD-RELATED YOUTH ADMISSIONS DECLINED IN 2023/24
Number of Alcohol- and Drug-Related Youth Admissions to County-Funded Recovery Services in San Bernardino County, 2020-2024
Alcohol-Involved Collisions
The number of alcohol-involved accidents declined 13% at the county level and declined 5% statewide between 2023 and 2024. In 2024, 11% of collisions in San Bernardino County involved alcohol, the same as the statewide rate. Over the past 10 years, alcohol-involved collisions per capita have fluctuated to a present rate of 49.4 per 100,000 in 2024. This rate is higher than the statewide rate of 45.7 per 100,000. In 2024, alcohol-involved collisions claimed 51 lives in San Bernardino County, a drop of 28% from the previous year.
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY HAS HIGHER RATE OF ALCOHOL-INVOLVED COLLISIONS THAN THE STATE
Number of Alcohol-Involved Collisions per 100,000 Residents in San Bernardino County and California, 2015-2024
SUD-Related Deaths
Over the past 10 years, drug-induced and alcohol-related deaths have increased. Drug-induced deaths in San Bernardino County increased from 9.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2013 to 24.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2022. The statewide rate for drug-induced deaths is 25.3 per 100,000. Deaths caused by chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, which are often correlated with substance use disorder, have worsened, from 13.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2013 to 19.8 deaths per 100,000 in 2022. The county has more chronic liver disease and cirrhosis deaths than the statewide average (14.4 per 100,000 in 2022).
DRUG- AND ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATH RATES CONTINUE TO INCREASE
Drug and Alcohol-Related Death Rates in San Bernardino County, 2013-2022
Between 2016 and 2023, the number of deaths related specifically to fentanyl rose precipitously, from six deaths in 2016 to 436 deaths in 2023. This represents an increase of 7,167%. The one-year increase is 2%, up slightly from 427 deaths in 2022.
RAPID SURGE IN FENTANYL-RELATED DEATHS BEGINS TO SLOW
Number of Fentanyl-Related Deaths in San Bernardino County, 2016-2023
RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL
SUD Recovery Services
Roughly two-thirds (64%) of young clients served by County SUD recovery services are Latino, followed by White (20%) and Black (10%) clients. For adults, 43% of those in SUD recovery services are White, followed by Latino (36%) and Black clients (10%).
ALMOST TWO IN THREE YOUTH SERVED BY COUNTY SUD RECOVERY SERVICES ARE LATINO
Distribution of Unduplicated SUD Youth and Adult Clients by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2023/24
Youth
Adults
The Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Connection
Mental health and substance use disorder are often interconnected. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report, close to 21.5 million adults aged 18 or older (8.4 percent) had co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder. In San Bernardino County, 71% of youth clients receiving SUD services also received County mental health services in 2023/24. Among adults, 24% of clients receiving County SUD services also received County mental health services, while 35% have received mental health services in their lifetimes. When treated concurrently, treatments are found to be more effective. Treating the whole person improves wellbeing by leading to reductions in addiction relapse, reemergence of psychiatric symptoms, and utilization of crises intervention services.
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/underage-drinking/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm)