Over 23.5 million people in the United States need addiction treatment, but only about 11% ever find a drug rehab to treat them. As it turns out, those who do find a drug rehab and receive drug addiction services are a particular bunch. Certain people are more likely to get the right drug addiction services for certain kinds of drugs. Who are they? Why do they go drug treatment centers?

The Whos and Whys of Addiction Treatment

Of the 2.6 million people who received addiction treatment in 2010, most were white and they were also young adults. As for drugs, the most common admissions to drug treatment centers were for alcohol, opiates, and marijuana.

Addiction Treatment By Drug

• 23.1% Alcohol
• 20% Opiates (24.1% heroin and 5.9% prescription painkillers)
• 18.3% Alcohol & another drug
• 17 % Marijuana
• 8.1% Cocaine (crack/smoked)
• 6.5 Stimulants
• 3.2% Cocaine (powder)
• 0.6% Tranquilizers

Addiction Treatment By Race

• 59.8% White
• 20.9% African-American
• 13.7% Hispanic
• 2.3% American Indian
• 2.3% Other
• 1% Asian/Pacific Islander

Addiction Treatment By Age Group

• 29.2% 20-29
• 24.1% 40-49
• 23% 30-39
• 11.6% 50-64
• 4.1% 18-19
• 0.6% 65+

Interpreting Addiction Treatment Trends

There are a few things to note here. First and foremost, alcohol (both alone and with other drugs) is most frequently cited substance abuse problem for people who find a drug rehab. The large rates of treatment admissions for heroin and other opiates reflects both the continuing struggle with painkiller abuse and the fact that heroin continues to be a major drug problem. In fact, many opiate addicts are becoming heroin addicts rather than seeking drug addiction services.

When it comes to who goes to drug treatment centers, it’s mostly white people, and they’re mostly young adults. 14.8% were 25-29, 14.4% were 20-24, and 4.1% were 18-19. Though it is relatively small, this last figure is still significant because it’s only two years of age. Altogether, ages 18-29 comprise over a third of people seeking drug center treatment.

As for why white people predominantly compose addicts in treatment, we can only speculate. It’s clear that addiction does not discriminate according to race, and it’s also clear that money was not a major factor this survey. It comprised state-funded (free) treatment centers, so there should be no implication that minorities can afford treatment less than whites. More than likely is that it’s simply not available to ethnic minorities. Most African-Americans with a history of drug abuse are in jail rather than drug rehab. There are also language barriers for some ethnicities, and many may not know it’s available.

Suffice it to say, this is unacceptable. There’s no reason one race or age group should receive more drug addiction services than another. Everyone deserves the same chance of recovery.