Arizona, like many states across the nation, faces a serious opioid crisis. However, Arizona’s accidental overdose deaths are approximately 14 percent higher than the national average. Opioids, namely the rise of illegal fentanyl – the deadliest drug in Arizona (having surpassed methamphetamine in recent years), is taking its toll. Not just on users but on their families and loved ones too, as death weighs heavily on relative’s minds and, for many, leads to costly funeral expenses.
Data shows that there is a disparity in who is impacted by drug use and associated violence – namely, African American and homeless populations are disproportionately affected.
Fortunately, this epidemic is being met head-on by state and local governments in the form of rehabilitation resources, overdose-reducing drugs like naloxone, and other programs partly or entirely funded by One Arizona Agreement – part of the $50 billion settlement that Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen made with the attorney generals who sued them for their roles in spurring drug use. 56 percent of the $1.12 billion allotted to Arizona is distributed to local governments, while 44 percent goes to the state.
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50 Key Facts & Statistics About Arizona Drug Use
#1 – 93.4% of Arizona opioid overdose deaths in 2022 were accidental.2
#2 – In 2022, Maricopa County saw a spike of 42% over the previous year in the number of people reported dead from homelessness (732 in all). Evidently, the above statistic depicts a rise in the number of deaths among homeless individuals. According to the source, substance use disorders are included among the main contributing causes of death among the homeless population.4
#3 – Nonfatal opioid overdose rates are highest for Black Arizonans, 67.7 per 100,000 people (2024).1
#4 – In 2022, Arizona recorded 1,927 deaths due to opioid overdose, a slight decrease compared with 2,019 deaths in 2021.2
#5 – More than five people die each day in Arizona due to opioid overdose (2024).5
#6 – Prescription and synthetic opioids contributed to 97.2% of Arizona opioid overdose deaths in 2022.2
#7 – In 2022, the mortality rates from Arizona opioid overdoses were highest among men in the age group of 35-44 years and the Black or African American population.2
#8 – In 2022, Arizona’s nonfatal opioid overdoses disproportionately occurred among males, aged 25 to 34 year olds, and Black or African American.2
Source: Arizona’s Ongoing Fight Against Fentanyl and Overdose Fatalities (azdhs.gov) – Opioid fatality rate per 100,000 population by county, Arizona, 2022 (n=1,927)
#9 – Fentanyl was determined to be the most common drug implicated in a nonfatal opioid overdose in Arizona (2022).2
#10 – Fentanyl is now the deadliest drug in Arizona, having overtaken methamphetamine (2024).8
#11 – In Arizona, fentanyl-related deaths increased by 4,900% since 2015 in 2024.8
#12 – On average, more than three individuals die daily as a result of fentanyl overdose in Maricopa County.8
#13 – In 2022, over half of the Arizona nonfatal opioid overdoses involved more than one drug.2
#14 – In 2022, naloxone was administered in over 78% of all combined EMS and law enforcement responses to suspected opioid overdose events in Arizona.2
#15 – In 2022, there is a heightening of the dispensing of Naloxone through Arizona pharmacies by 18.5%.2
#16 – New research by the University of Arizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center found that high levels of family support may deter substance use in teens living in Arizona border towns (2023).3
#17 – The Journal of Migration and Health says that low-family-support Arizona teens were more vulnerable to substance use, such as alcohol and drugs than those with high family support 2023).3
#18 – Homeless persons in Arizona have a higher prevalence of substance use disorders compared to stably housed individuals (2023).3
#19 – In 2023, there were over 13,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in Arizona, and of these, over half were unsheltered. Consequently, because there is an increased number of unsheltered homeless persons, there is also an increased level of vulnerability concerning the incidence of substance use disorders. Homeless people are at higher risk for communicable diseases; they also show a higher prevalence of chronic conditions, severe mental illness, and substance use disorders.4
#20 – The pharmaceutical industry is going to pay more than $1.12 billion to Arizona for a period of 18 years (ending in 2039) designated for the treatment, prevention, and education of opioids.5
Source: Opioids – One Arizona Agreement (azag.gov) – 56% of opioid settlement funds allocated to 15 counties
#21 – 56% of the opioid settlement money will be distributed between counties, cities, and towns, and the remaining 44% will go to the state government according to the agreement used in One Arizona Agreement.5
#22 – One Arizona Agreement settlement funds are distributed to 15 counties and 91 cities and towns in Arizona based on their population and comparative scope of harm endured due to the opioid crisis.5
#23 – Under the terms of the Teva Settlement Agreement, Arizona chose to accept 27,700 units of naloxone per year from Teva Pharmaceuticals for up to ten years.5
#24 – In 2016, AZDPS seized more than 28,900 pounds of illegal drugs in addition to more than 9,000 pounds seized by troopers on state highways.6
#25 – The 28,900 pounds seized through investigative functions in 2016 represent a 19% increase from the amount seized in 2015 by AZDPS investigative functions.6
#26 – In 2020, 66.9% of U.S. adults in Arizona reported at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).7
#27 – In 2020, 18.9% of adults in Arizona reported four or more ACEs7
#28 – The CDC appropriated $25,000 for ACE prevention activities in Arizona in 20227
#29 – In 2021, Arizona had 2,730 overdose deaths.7
#30 – In 2021, the overdose death rate in Arizona was 38.7 deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted).7
#31 – The CDC awarded $7,780,826 for overdose prevention activities in Arizona in 2022.7
#32 – In 2022, Arizona received a state award of $4,797,366 to fund the Overdose Data to Action program.7
#33 – In 2022, Maricopa County was awarded $2,588,960 in Overdose Data to Action funding.7
#34 – In 2022, Arizona received an average award of $74,500 to support its Overdose Response Strategy.7
#35 – In 2022, Arizona trained four county health departments on opioid overdose recognition and naloxone distribution.7
#36 – In 2022, the University of Arizona Center for Rural Health assessed the state’s 16 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to implement a comprehensive opioid management program.7
#37 – In 2022, Amistades Inc. and its partners provided linguistically and culturally appropriate substance use prevention education to Latino populations in Arizona.7
#38 – In 2022, The Noche Oscura Overdose Task Force implemented “Thrive,” which is a psychostimulant opioid prevention program about substance use that targets Arizona youth between ages 12 to 19 years old.7
#39 – In 2024, fentanyl accounted for 60% of all deaths due to drugs in Arizona.8
#40 – In 2022, Arizona seized $28 million worth of fentanyl pills alone.8
#41 – In 2017, 37 cases were prosecuted against fentanyl in Arizona. In 2022, there was an upsurge of 6,629 cases of fentanyl in Arizona.8
#42 – The majority of the fentanyl in Arizona is coming from the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico (2024).8
#43 – The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office seizes several millions of fentanyl pills annually, as of 2024.8
#44 – Teens are buying fentanyl through social media sites (2024).8
#45 – Under Arizona’s Good Samaritan Law, anyone can call in an overdose for fentanyl with absolutely no fear of prosecution at all if they were using it themselves or with other users (2024).8
Source: Health Department, Medical Examiner Work to Combat Rise in Senior Overdoses (pima.gov) – Overview of overdose deaths, Pima County, Arizona, 2023
#46 – There were 393 overdose-related deaths among people aged between 60 to 69 years in Pima County from 2017 to 2023.8
#47 – In 2017, Pima County accounted for 32 senior deaths from overdoses involving select drugs, while in 2023 that number increased to 103.9
#48 – Of the overdose deaths among seniors in Pima County in 2023, 69% involved opioid use.9
Source: Black People Have the Highest Opioid Fatality Rate Among All Other Races and Ethnicities in Arizona ( azpbs.org) – U.S. drug overdose death rate per 100,000 people, by race and ethnicity (age-adjusted)
#49 – According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, more black people die due to opioid overdose compared to any other race or ethnicity in Arizona (2024).1
#50 – The opioid overdose death rate for Black people in Arizona is 32.4 per 100,000 (2024).1
Need Help? Contact Axiom Care for Addiction Treatment in Arizona
Axiom Care is a leading provider of addiction treatment and behavioral health services in Arizona. Our team prides itself on helping individuals dealing with drug addiction through compassion and effective treatment plans. We offer individualized therapies, drug detox, and residential treatment or outpatient care. Additionally, we are an in-network AHCCCS/Medicaid substance use treatment provider.
We have facilities located throughout Maricopa and Pinal counties and accommodate crisis care patients and justice reentry programs. Our clients receive individual aftercare attention, peer support, and family counseling to help them along their journey to recovery. If you or a loved one is dealing with drug addiction, please contact our team by clicking here or by calling 602-975-2194 today!
Sources:
1. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2024/04/11/black-arizonans-highest-opioid-overdose-death-rate/
4. https://news.nau.edu/shuman-homelessness/
5. https://www.azag.gov/issues/opioids
6. https://www.azdps.gov/organization/narcotics
7. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/budget-funding/arizona-aces-and-overdose-prevention-funding.html
8. https://www.maricopa.gov/5981/Focus-on-Fentany
9. https://www.pima.gov/2720/Newsroom?contentId=c72422ee-ef03-4369-a0e1-61b7b4a19367