New Jersey Addiction Treatment Statistics

New Jersey faces a significant public health challenge with the widespread availability of opioids, including both illegal drugs like heroin and prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. 

Many residents also grapple with addiction to alcohol and other potent substances, often using multiple drugs simultaneously. 

Despite these challenges, a considerable number of people seek treatment each year. Given the diverse nature of addiction, a variety of treatment approaches are available. Let’s take a look at New Jersey addiction treatment statistics to see how treatment is impacting lives.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2022, New Jersey had 85,266 treatment admissions and 84,437 discharges for substance use disorders.
• In 2021, New Jersey was among the top ten states contributing to over 64% of national substance use treatment admissions.
• New Jersey has 227 treatment centers for women and 81 for adolescents.
• In 2022, admissions by drug type were as follows: alcohol (31,807), heroin (31,933), cocaine/crack (5,005), and marijuana/synthetic cannabinoids (5,610).
• Out of 369 addiction treatment centers in New Jersey, 333 offer outpatient rehab, 50 are inpatient, and 14 are hospital-based inpatient centers.
• In 2023-24, 64.8% of individuals in treatment had completely stopped using substances by discharge, with 53.2% discharged for completing their treatment plans.
• In 2022, 30% of patients had attended Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous at discharge, up from 13% and 14% at admission, respectively.

Addiction Treatment Admissions in New Jersey

Addiction treatment admissions statistics in New Jersey include:

• In 2022, substance use disorder treatment providers reported 85,266 treatment admissions and 84,437 discharges to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. 
• New Jersey was one of ten states that made up more than 64% of the admissions to substance use treatment services nationwide in 2021.
• In New Jersey, there are 227 addiction treatment centers with programs for women and 81 centers with programs for adolescents, as per American Addiction Centers.
• The number of addiction treatment admissions by the type of drug as reported by the New Jersey Statewide Substance Use Overview Report 2022 is as follows: 

• There are a total of 369 addiction treatment centers in New Jersey, out of which 333 centers offer outpatient rehab, 50 are inpatient rehab facilities, and 14 are hospital-based inpatient centers. 

Types of Addiction Treatment in New Jersey

Here are some statistics on the types of addiction treatment in New Jersey:

• According to the New Jersey Statewide Substance Use Overview Report 2022, 53% of those who began addiction treatment sought help on their own. Meanwhile, 18% were referred by corrections programs, and 10% came through addiction service organizations.
• Outpatient care (19%) and intensive outpatient care (20%) were the most common types of addiction treatment in New Jersey. Residential detoxification was also prevalent and made up 20% of addiction treatment cases as per New Jersey Statewide Substance Use Overview Report 2022.
• According to a JAMA study analyzing the benefits of New Jersey Medicaid Initiatives among 101,423 Medicaid beneficiaries, the prescription rate of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) increased from 1.29 prescriptions per 1000 beneficiaries to 1.76 prescriptions per 1000 beneficiaries after policy implementations. 
• For beneficiaries with new buprenorphine episodes, the percentage who stayed on the medication for at least 180 days remained stable before and after the policy change.

• The rate of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for OUD in New Jersey remained stable with a slow increase of 0.02% per week before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), according to the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment study. 
• In 2019, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conducted the N-SSATS survey in New Jersey, which included 370 addiction treatment facilities and reported a total of 38,326 clients undergoing treatment. The details of the type of care are as follows: 

Efficacy of Addiction Treatment in New Jersey

How effective is addiction treatment in New Jersey? Here are some numbers to answer this question:

• The New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System (NJSAMS) reported that in 2023-24, 64.8% of individuals in treatment had completely stopped using alcohol or drugs by the time they were discharged. 53.2% of patients were discharged because they completed their treatment plans.

• According to the NJSAMS, in 2022, there was a 17.8% absolute change in people abstaining from alcohol between admission and discharge, with abstinence rates increasing from 71.6% at admission to 90.4% at discharge. 
• In 2022, the NJSAMS indicated a 17.1% absolute change in drug abstinence among people from admission to discharge, with 65.3% abstinent at admission and 82.4% at discharge.
• The NJSAMS reported the following improvement in self-help group attendance data for 2022 substance abuse treatment clients:
  • At admission:
    • 13% (11,232 people) had attended Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in the last 30 days.
    • 14% (12,255 people) had attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the last 30 days.
  • At discharge:
    • 30% (25,756 people) had attended Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in the last 30 days.
    • 30% (26,242 people) had attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the last 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Statistics of Addiction Recovery?

A study released by the CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2020 showed that 75% of those with addiction issues eventually recover. A peer-reviewed study published last year indicated that about 22.3 million Americans, or over 9% of adults, are living in recovery from substance-use disorders.

What Percentage of Addicts Relapse?

The National Library of Medicine states that addictive disorders are long-term and inherently susceptible to relapse. Clinical studies reveal that over two-thirds of individuals in early recovery relapse within weeks or months of beginning treatment, with over 85% returning to drug or alcohol use within a year.

What Is the Drug Law in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, possession, distribution, or manufacture of controlled substances such as heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine is illegal. Offenders may face a maximum of 5 years in prison, fines of up to $25,000, and/or required participation in drug counseling programs. 

For more information on drug addiction in New Jersey, read our article on New Jersey Addiction Statistics here. 

Data Sources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10163388/

2. https://www.jsatjournal.com/article/S2949-8759(24)00188-7/abstract

3. https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/publications/statistical/Substance%20Abuse%20Overview/2022/Statewide.pdf

4. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/quick_statistics/state_profiles/NSSATS-NJ19.pdf

5. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/treatment-centers/new-jersey

6. https://njsams.rutgers.edu/njsams/Reports/SummaryReport/StateSummaryReportMenu.aspx

7. https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/publications/performance/PR_State_20230823.pdf