Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission completes its first annual report

Founded in 2005, the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission completed its first annual report. The report, which attempts to give a current look at substance abuse in Buncombe County and a plan to address it, was released yesterday, Oct. 15. The report can be found online in full here.

Here are a few of the highlights from the Asheville-Buncome Drug Commission’s annual report:

• Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, Buncombe County ranked 20th in regard to the number of people who sought aid at the emergency department for substance abuse-related issues. The state average for emergency department presentations for substance use related issues per 100,000 people was 1248.84 in 2007. Buncombe County’s number per 100,000 people was 1622.48.

• From Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2011, the Neil Dobbins Detoxification Center had 432 admissions, with a total annual cost of treatment exceeding $682,000.

• In Asheville City Schools, the number of arrests for possession of a controlled substance tripled from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. The local report also notes that during this same time period, the arrest rate at Buncombe County Schools fluctuated less, but efforts to reduce rates further have proved a challenge.

• In 2010, Buncombe County recorded 1,014 arrests for driving under the influence, which rounds out to an average of about 20 arrests each day.

• From 2007 to 2010, the number of reported arrests in Buncombe County involving cocaine increased by 50 percent.

• According to Dr. Paul Martin, the Medical Director at Asheville’s Neil Dobbins Detoxification Center, the number of people seeking treatment for prescription drug addiction at Neil Dobbins has jumped disproportionately during the past five years. He notes that most users obtain the drugs from friends and family, rather than through criminal activity.

• According to a report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance abuse costs the United States $484 billion annually

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission completes its first annual report

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.