Drug and Alcohol Detox Guide For Superior, Wisconsin

Douglas County has a population of 44,144, compared to the population of 26,459 in the city of Superior. This distinction matters because all substance abuse data is collected at the county level. Superior simply doesn’t have the resources to collect and analyze the data on its own. Moreover, it’s common practice in Wisconsin for counties to manage substance abuse analysis on behalf of cities in their purview, particularly smaller cities like Superior.

Despite the fact that other cities in Douglas County also contribute to the ongoing substance abuse crisis, Superior is the largest contributor by far. As a result, the county-level data is very similar to the actual figures coming out of Superior. But once again, these figures are not always complete, which can make it harder to figure out exactly how severe the crisis has become in the more sparsely populated northern regions of Wisconsin.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the number of deaths caused by alcohol abuse continues to rise each year in Douglas County. In fact, this particular statistic rose by nearly 80% over the course of 8 years. [2] [3] You can see a full breakdown of these statistics in the table below:

The table above shows that there was a sharp increase in emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations involving alcohol starting in 2016. Based on our research, there are no outside variables that account for such a drastic increase, so it could mean that Douglas County altered the way it recorded data starting in 2016. It’s possible that county officials widened the parameters for what could be considered an “emergency room visit” or “inpatient hospitalization” in which alcohol was the primary cause for treatment. However, we cannot be sure that this was the case.

Regardless of the situation in 2016, it’s evident from this data that alcohol abuse has increased in Douglas County over the past decade. Between 2016 and 2021, emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, increased by 5% and 3.9%, respectively. Over the same period, alcohol-attributable deaths increased by 140%. But once again, the datasets for Douglas County are relatively small, so the spike in deaths is not quite as drastic as these percentages appear. Moreover, Douglas County saw its alcohol abuse cases peak during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is similar to what we have seen in most other counties throughout Wisconsin.

It’s also important to remember that data for 2022 and 2023 is still preliminary. As of April 2023, Douglas County has only recorded 3 alcohol deaths, which could mean that the peaks reached during the pandemic are now dropping back down to more manageable levels. However, it’s still too early to make any firm predictions.

After alcohol, opioids are the second most commonly abused substance in Superior and Douglas County. Unfortunately, data related to opioid deaths in Douglas County is sparse, but based on the information we do have, the opioid epidemic hit the region incredibly hard. [4] [5] You can see the annual figures for opioid abuse in Douglas County in the table below:

As you can see, the opioid data for Douglas County is insufficient. Opioid death records are only available for 2019 and 2021, and this is often the most useful statistic for evaluating the extent of the opioid crisis in a given city or county. However, we can use the opioid emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations to glean some information about the opioid epidemic in Douglas County.

Emergency room visits have generally been on the rise since 2014, though they peaked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alternatively, inpatient hospitalizations have declined drastically. This type of negative correlation often indicates that more people are suffering from sudden opioid overdoses that require immediate emergency care, while fewer people are seeking out inpatient treatment, detox, or rehab. This could be a sign that the opioid crisis is getting worse, even though relatively few people are dying (based on the limited data we have).

However, data compiled from multiple sources provides further evidence that Douglas County has a severe substance abuse problem, particularly involving alcohol, opioids, and crystal meth. An average of 7.1 people per 100,000 residents in the county die every year as a result of opioids, with an average of 2.6 of those deaths involving heroin. Meth contributes to an annual average of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 residents in the county, which is higher than most other counties in the state. [6]

It’s important to note that these statistics do not correspond exactly to the statistics for the city of Superior alone. However, as previously mentioned, Superior accounts for the vast majority of cases in the county. By some estimates, as much as 82% of substance abuse cases in Douglas County originate in Superior.