Sad Facts
According to SAMHSA, (2019) Kentucky leads the country in the percentage of individuals 12 years old or older who abuse substances, ranging from heroin, opiates, marijuana, to alcohol. In addition, Kentucky leads the country in percentages of individuals 12 or older who have been diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. In 2019 SAMSHA says over 200,000 individuals in Kentucky were diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder. But, only 24,000 people received treatment for addiction. According to SAMSHA, in Kentucky, there were 1316 overdose deaths in 2019 compared to 1247 in 2018 and 16,795 emergency room visits in 2018 due to overdoses. Also, in 2019, there were over 4000 people in the state incarcerated for direct drug related crimes.
In Jefferson County, Kentucky (Louisville,) we currently see 2,351 drug and alcohol related arrests per 100,000 people per year. That is over 18,000 substance abuse arrests annually in one Kentucky county alone! This also has been an upward trend since 2005. Approximately 1,142 total inmates are currently incarcerated in Jefferson County. According to SAMSHA, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 80% of incarcerations involve Alcohol and Drugs.
There were 319 recorded overdose deaths in Jefferson County in 2019. SAMHSA estimates at least 50% of the homeless have co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. And, in 2019 there were roughly 6,986 homeless in Louisville, so this adds approximately 3500 more individuals in dire need.
