Recent Drug Addiction Statistics for Boston and Massachusetts

Baystate Recovery Services

Massachusetts is ranked #8 in the rate of drug-related deaths that occurred in 2019, reports the CDC. That year, the state had 32.1 drug-related deaths for every 100,000 residents. Heroin is the top illicit drug of use in Boston and the entire state. Plus, it has contributed to thousands of overdose deaths in recent years.

Here’s a closer look at the scope of drug abuse in Boston and Massachusetts, and information about drug rehab treatments that can help you experience a long-lasting recovery.

Boston and Massachusetts Drug Addiction Statistics

In 2017, heroin represented nearly 57% of all admissions to drug rehab centers in Boston, reports the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
In 2017, 4.5% of admissions to drug rehab centers in Boston were for crack or cocaine, 3% were for marijuana, 2.4% were for opioids other than heroin, and 2.1% were for sedatives and hypnotics.
The city of Boston reports that an estimated 11.3% of people living in Boston are suffering from some form of substance abuse.
In 2012, nearly one in 10 of all visits to Boston hospital emergency departments were related to substance abuse.
Heroin is the top drug of choice for people who live in Boston and abuse drugs.
In 2013, an estimated 42% of public high school students in Boston reported having used marijuana at least once in their lifetime, reports the Boston Public Health Commission.
In 2013, there were approximately 28.3 admissions to drug rehab centers in Boston for every 1,000 residents aged 12 and older.
The state of Massachusetts reports that the number of opioid-related deaths in the state has increased 450% over the last 16 years.
Between 2013 and 2014, an estimated 3% of Massachusetts residents aged 12 years and older met the criteria for drug abuse or dependence.
In 2018, an estimated 88% of drug overdose deaths involved at least one opioid, reports the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
In 2018, there were 475 heroin-related deaths and 331 deaths related to prescription opioids in Massachusetts.
In 2018, more than 90% of opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
In 2018, doctors in Massachusetts wrote an estimated 35.3 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people.
In 2017, there were an estimated 13.7 babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in Massachusetts for every 1,000 hospital births.
In 2017, an estimated 25.5% of male HIV cases and 30.2% of female HIV cases in Massachusetts were caused by injection drug use.
There are an estimated 38,100 people in Massachusetts living with hepatitis C caused by injection drug use.
The NIDA reports that the number of unintentional drug overdoses reported in Boston hospitals increased by 40% between 2010 and 2012 — most of which were related to heroin.

Treatments for Drug Addiction in Massachusetts

Drug use disorders are typically treated using a combination of intervention, family coaching, behavioral therapy and life tools at Baystate Recovery.

The goal of behavioral therapy is to teach patients how to cope with stress and other triggers of drug use, and to change harmful behaviors that may be contributing to their addiction. Relapse prevention training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and 12-step facilitation therapy are some of the many evidence-based behavioral therapies used at drug rehab.