NUMBER OF FENTANYL-RELATED DEATHS DROPS
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 Substance Use Disorder 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 increased between 2023/24 (5,530 admissions) and 2024/25 (5,623 admissions) and are up 9% from five years ago (2020/21 – 2024/25). Over this five-year period, there was a 111% increase in admissions for “other drugs” – which may include tranquilizers, sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, or other drugs – and admissions for cocaine rose by 81%. There were double-digit decreases for admissions for alcohol and cannabis (31% and 13%, respectively). Meanwhile, methamphetamine and opiate admissions decreased 10% and 1%, respectively. Despite the rapid increase in admissions for other drugs, admissions for other drugs are the third lowest cause of admissions after cocaine and cannabis. In 2024/25, opiates and methamphetamines accounted for the highest proportion of adult admissions, 35% and 26%, respectively.
SUD-RELATED ADMISSIONS TO RECOVERY DECREASE FOR METHAMPHETAMINE AND OPIATES
Number of Alcohol- and Drug-Related Adult Admissions to County-Funded Recovery Services in San Bernardino County, 2021-2025
SUD Recovery Services for Youth
SUD-related admissions for youth (under the age of 18) to County recovery facilities increased 2% between 2023/24 and 2024/25 and 23% since 2020/21. Over the past five years, there was a 50% increase in admissions for other drugs, 25% increase in cannabis admissions and 20% increase in alcohol admissions. There was a 33% decline in youth admissions for cocaine. At 77%, cannabis accounted for the greatest proportion of youth admissions.
SUD-RELATED YOUTH ADMISSIONS INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN 2024/25
Number of Alcohol- and Drug-Related Youth Admissions to County-Funded Recovery Services in San Bernardino County, 2021-2025
Alcohol-Involved Collisions
The number of alcohol-involved accidents remained relatively stable between 2024 and 2025. In 2025, 11.1% of collisions in San Bernardino County involved alcohol, slightly higher than the statewide rate of 10.9%. In 2025, the alcohol-involved collisions per capita rate was 51.1 per 100,000, the lowest level since 2020. This rate, however, is higher than the statewide rate of 43.6 per 100,000. In 2025, alcohol-involved collisions claimed 41 lives in San Bernardino County, a drop of 33% from the previous year.
RATE OF ALCOHOL-INVOLVED COLLISIONS DECLINE AT COUNTY AND STATE LEVELS
Number of Alcohol-Involved Collisions per 100,000 Residents in San Bernardino County and California, 2016-2025
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 10.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2014 to 26.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2023. The statewide rate for drug-induced deaths is 27.3 per 100,000. Deaths caused by chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, which are often correlated with substance use disorder, have risen sharply, from 14.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2014 to 19.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2023. The county has slightly more chronic liver disease and cirrhosis deaths than the statewide average (14.4 per 100,000 in 2023).
ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATH RATES HOLD STEADY WHILE DRUG-RELATED DEATHS CONTINUE TO INCREASE
Drug- and Alcohol-Related Death Rates in San Bernardino County, 2014-2023
Between 2016 and 2024, the number of deaths related specifically to fentanyl rose precipitously, from six deaths in 2016 to 278 deaths in 2024. This represents an increase of 4,533%. However, there has been a one-year decrease of 36%, from 436 deaths in 2023.
LARGE ONE-YEAR DECLINE IN FENTANYL-RELATED DEATHS
Number of Fentanyl-Related Deaths in San Bernardino County, 2016-2024
RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL
More than six in 10 (60%) of young clients served by County SUD recovery services are Latino, followed by White (21%) and Black (12%) clients. For adults, 41% of those in SUD recovery services are White, followed by Latino (37%) and Black clients (11%).
ALMOST TWO IN THREE YOUTH SERVED BY COUNTY SUD RECOVERY SERVICES ARE LATINO
Distribution of Unduplicated Count of SUD Youth and Adult Clients by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2024/25
Youth
Adults
Note: Data are not compatible with reporting in prior years due to changes in the methodology.
Source: County of San Bernardino, Department of Behavioral Health, CalOMS Dataset
The Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Connection
Mental health and substance use disorders are often interconnected. According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report, close to 21.2 million adults aged 18 or older (8.1%) had co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. In San Bernardino County, 71% of youth clients receiving SUD services also received County mental health services in 2024/25. Among adults, 24% of clients receiving County SUD services also received County mental health services, while 37% have received mental health services in their lifetimes. When co-occurring diagnoses are treated concurrently, treatments are found to be more effective. Treating the whole person improves wellbeing by reducing 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)