Montebello Addiction Treatment Centers

The small city of Montebello in Los Angeles County, California, has fewer than 64,000 residents. With such a small population, one may assume that there are few problems, but people who live in this suburb of Los Angeles still struggle with substance abuse.¹ Prescription drug abuse is a major problem all over the nation, and cities like Montebello are not exempt.

A public health survey found that there were 8,265 deaths involving drug abuse in Los Angeles County between 2000 and 2009, and about 61% of those deaths involved a prescription or over-the-counter medication.² While most prescription drug abuse involves opioid painkillers, since they are very addictive, other prescription drugs like stimulants and sedatives can be very dangerous, too.

After opioids, benzodiazepines like Klonopin, Xanax, and Valium are among the most abused prescription drugs. In 2015, benzodiazepines were reported in 4.8% of the Los Angeles County medical examiner toxicology cases, meaning these drugs were involved in many overdose deaths. This was, however, a substantial decrease from 2014, when benzodiazepines were reported in 9.5% of toxicology cases. Among emergency room admissions, benzodiazepine reports went up slightly between 2013 and 2014—14.2 out of every 100,000 people compared to 15.3 out of 100,000.³

Misusing or abusing a prescription drug is very dangerous, so if you have concerns about your compulsion to use a medication, your inability to stop taking it, or your experience of withdrawal symptoms if you do stop taking it, call our helpline. One of our recovery support advisors can tell you more about your treatment options.

1. Data.io: Montebello, CA.
2. County of Los Angeles Public Health. (2013). Prescription Drug Abuse in Los Angeles County: Background and Recommendations for Action.
3. National Drug Early Warning System. Los Angeles County Sentinel Community Site (SCS) Drug Use Patterns and Trends, 2016.