California Has Most Opioid-Related Deaths in Nation: Report

Californians are dying waiting for treatment for opioid addiction, and it's becoming an epidemic, according to a report released Monday by the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Finance.

According to the report, the number of people dying from opioid overdoses has quadrupled in the past 17 years. Everyday in the U.S., around 78 people die from overdose — that translates to about one person dying every 18 minutes, according to the report.

The goal of the report is to get more funding for opioid-addiction treatment. The report blames the Republican-led Senate for blocking treatment funding. In July, Congress passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) and President Barack Obama signed it into law, but the GOP blocked two amendments by Democratic senators that would have allowed funding for opioid treatment. The White House has requested $920 million for CARA, but Congress has yet to act on this request.

According to the report, more than 91 percent of Californians in need of treatment were unable access services in the past year. And the state has the highest number of drug overdose deaths in the country, with 4,521 opioid-related deaths in 2014, the report said.

"It’s critical that those searching for help are able to access the entire range of treatment options and to choose the one that works best for them," the report said.

If Congress were to approve the full $920 million request, California could receive up to $78 million for treatment, according to the report. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), California has some of the most severe capacity shortfalls in treatment facilities in the nation. The SAMHSA data shows that 102 percent of the inpatient hospital beds were used for substance abuse in 2013, meaning that hospitals are using beds not intended for substance abuse treatment to keep up with demands.

The state's opioid epidemic is also disproportionately affecting rural residents, particularly in the northern most rural counties, the most, according to the Sacramento Bee. Shasta County, for example, which has a population of less than 180,000, reported 1,100 overdoses between 2006 and 2013 — triple the statewide average, the Bee reported.

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