Addiction in the UP: Part I
Deaths from unintentional drug poisoning have almost quadrupled in Michigan since 1999, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health.
“The simple fact of the matter is kids are dying, families are being destroyed,” said Jim LaJoie, executive director of the
, a non-profit that supports health programs.
Every day,
, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMHSA).
The news is even worse in the Upper Peninsula. In the last decade, overdose rates have risen faster here than in the Lower Peninsula, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
“We're definitely seen an increase in volume and seizures here in the Upper Peninsula,” said Michigan State Police Det. Lt. Tim Sholander, who oversees the
. “Back around two months ago, we had a seizure of about a quarter pound of crystal meth.”
The region’s history may play a role in the new trends. The U.P. has traditionally dealt with high rates of alcohol abuse; as of 2009, the U.P.’s rate of alcohol-impaired deaths and serious injuries was
than the state average, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse and Addiction Services. Now, it appears drug abuse rates are rising to meet alcohol abuse rates.
Greg Toutant, CEO Great Lakes Recovery Centers: “Historically, the U.P. is a fairly isolated demographic that ushers in drinking at a very early age,” said Greg Toutant, CEO of the
. “So they're getting exposure in middle school, high school for not only alcohol use, but marijuana. Those gateway drugs open the door, certainly, to exposure to harder and hard-core substances.”
The U.P.’s geographic isolation makes it slow to catch on to national trends. Accordingly, these data suggest that after a few years' lag time, the Upper Peninsula is following the Lower Peninsula's trend toward rising overdose rates. In the U.P., Marquette County had the highest rate of overdose in 2015, the last year for which data is available.
But all U.P. counties report seeing more substance abuse.
This series continues with a look at how Upper Peninsula law enforcement deal with the issue.
