Heroin and prescription drugs are among the most commonly abused substances in Alaska, according to a 2016 drug report from the Alaska State Troopers.1
Alaska has seen a huge increase in the abuse of opioids (which includes heroin and painkillers) in the past several years. Between 2013 and 2015, heroin abuse rates increased significantly from 0.7% to 1.23%.2 Heroin overdose deaths have increased every year in Alaska since 2010. In 2012, the rate of overdose deaths involving prescription painkillers was more than twice the national rate, and AK’s rate of heroin-involved overdose deaths was more than 50% higher than the national rate.3 These opioid abuse numbers are also reflected in the numbers of people in treatment for opioid addiction. In 2015, in a single-day count, 331 people in Alaska received methadone in opioid addiction treatment programs as part of their substance abuse treatment—an increase from 148 in 2012.2
Alcohol is also at the top of list of abused substances in Alaska. Between 2014 and 2015, alcohol use in the state was above the national average for adolescents (11% vs. 10.6%), and the number of adults with a diagnosable alcohol use disorder in that year also topped the national average (7.4% vs. 6.1%).2
Substance abuse in the state may be driven in part by (and may also worsen) mental health issues, specifically depression. Alaska has the second-highest suicide rate in the country, with 27.1 suicides per 100,000 residents. The national rate is 13.3 per 100,000.4