As you can probably surmise from the name, Erie, Pennsylvania is a waterfront city on Lake Erie. Every year, Eire, PA attracts tourists for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails. The Presque Isle State Park extends out into a peninsula that nearly encloses the Presque Isle Bay. With welcoming locales and beautiful scenery, the City of Erie is truly a wonderful place to live or just visit.

However, like many cities in Pennsylvania, Erie has not been immune to the current drug and opioid epidemics sweeping the state and the rest of the nation. Both illegal and prescription drugs are adding to the growing number of lethal overdoses and drug-related arrests in Erie. Fortunately, there is hope. If you’re looking for a drug rehab facility with inpatient and outpatient services, counseling, detox, and dual diagnosis treatment near Erie, PA, then Prosperity Haven is just a phone call away.

That said, it is important to understand exactly how drugs are affecting the citizens of Erie, Pennsylvania. In today’s guide, we will cover some of the latest drug abuse statistics in Erie, as well as programs utilized to combat the crisis. Additionally, we will discuss some of the most pressing issues faced by people dealing with drug addiction in the City of Erie.

The Drug Addiction Crisis in Erie

Unbeknownst to many, the land where Erie currently sits has been occupied for thousands of years. Native Americans had been cultivating the resource-rich land in Erie as far back as 8000 BCE. When French settlers arrived in 1753, they claimed the land as part of “New France.” However, the British would eventually take over the land during the Seven Years’ War. The land would remain contested for several decades until tribes made deals with Pennsylvania and the United States government to relinquish their claim to Erie.

Throughout the 1800s, Erie was known as a key naval hub. It was also used for commercial fishing and railroad transport. Though the city saw an industrial boom throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, it began to wain as the region underwent industrial restructuring. This led to various factories and industrial jobs leaving the city, hurting the local economy in the process. Nonetheless, Erie, PA is now home to roughly 94,000 people, making it the 5th largest city in the state of Pennsylvania.

The economic downturn that started in the 1970s only added to the growing drug problems that Erie residents know today. Heroin is one of the biggest sources of addiction and overdoses in the area. And while the number of drug overdoses had begun to decline in the last several years in Erie, it saw a steep rise in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The local coroner’s office reported 90 drug overdose-related deaths in 2020. This marked an increase from an annual low in 2019 (76 deaths). [1]

Erie Drug and Alcohol Abuse Vs. the Rest of Pennsylvania

When compared to the rest of Pennsylvania, Erie has rates of drug and alcohol abuse that are slightly below average. As of 2018, the state of Pennsylvania saw roughly 35 drug or alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 residents. In the same year, Erie averaged 28 deaths per 100,000 residents. [2] However, Erie still accounted for almost 2% of all of the drug-related deaths in the state between 2018 and 2020.

Alternatively, cities like Gettysburg and Hanover have recorded overdose death rates as low as 15 per 100,000 residents. The variations in death rates are often directly related to the availability of drugs like heroin and fentanyl, as well as the ease of access to medical and drug rehab facilities in the area. However, factors like poverty, age demographics, and crime rates can also impact the number of overdoses and the percentage of drug-related deaths.

In short, Erie does not experience the highest rates of drug abuse or death in Pennsylvania, nor does it see the lowest rates. The truth is that Erie is much like many other medium-sized cities throughout Pennsylvania and the nation. The struggling local economy and effects of the pandemic have only led to an increase in addiction rates to alcohol, prescription painkillers, and illegal drugs.

Substance Abuse Treatment & Prevention in Erie

The primary source of information and help for substance abuse in Erie comes from the Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. In addition to offering programs on Heroin Overdose Awareness, the office also links those in need with providers and possible treatment plans. It works in tandem with local treatment centers and state programs to help reduce the risk of addiction. The Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse puts particular emphasis on helping underserved individuals or those most at risk of causing harm to themselves or others through drug abuse. This means that they prioritize their services and resources to assist pregnant injection drug users, pregnant substance users, all injection drug users, overdose survivors, and veterans. [3]

Erie, Pennsylvania Addiction Statistics

Thus far, we have discussed the fact that drugs continue to have a negative impact on residents of Erie. However, when you look at the actual statistics, they provide a much more accurate picture of the addiction rates and overdose rates in the city. Here are a few of the latest and most relevant drug and overdose findings in Erie, Pennsylvania as of 2020:

• Annual Overdoses: 166
• Cause of Overdose
  • Unspecified Substances: 78%
  • Illicit Substances: 14%
  • Poisoning: 1%
  • Prescription Drugs: 7%
• Annual Drug-Related Deaths: 90

The latest reportings also indicate that fentanyl and cocaine are on the rise, overtaking heroin as the number-one killer in Erie between 2015 and 2020. A large percentage of the toxicology reports indicate that a mixture of drugs has been in the systems of those who have died. However, in many cases, the exact substances could not be identified.

Addiction Recovery Rehab in Erie, Pennsylvania

As you can see, there is a significant need for drug rehab and treatment in Erie, Pennsylvania. The growing access to fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin has made it harder for local authorities to control illicit drug use. Moreover, the unstable economy and the COVID-19 pandemic have only increased the propensity for drug abuse in Erie County. The strength and number of illicit drugs continue to grow every year, making it more and more difficult for law enforcement and medical professionals to stem the rising tide of drug-related incidents.

Thankfully, Erie residents do have access to high-quality drug and alcohol rehabilitation. If you or someone you love is facing addiction and needs help, Prosperity Haven is just a short drive from Erie, making it easy for victims of drug abuse to be admitted for inpatient or outpatient treatments. In addition to detox and counseling, Prosperity Haven offers dual diagnosis treatment, residential inpatient programs, group and family therapy, as well as holistic approaches to address the broader needs of each individual.

Are you or someone you love struggling with drug addiction in Erie, Pennsylvania? Are you looking for treatment options nearby that can help address drug addiction using a wide range of treatments? If so, feel free to contact the experts at Prosperity Haven to learn more about your options.