Nevada Overdose Deaths Spiked at the Start of the Pandemic

Nevada saw a 50% rise in drug overdoses in the second quarter of 2021, mostly from fentanyl and other opioid misuse. This prompted officials to declare a “red alert,” to address the problem, along with 27 other states in the U.S.

It is suspected that the increase was due to problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including economic toll, lack of access to drug treatment and emergency programs, reduced capacity in hospitals caused by coronavirus outbreaks, and increase in suicides by intentional overdose.

If someone is suffering an opioid overdose, witnesses should call 9-1-1 and administer naloxone if some is on-hand. Naloxone—a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug—is available at many pharmacies without a prescription. Nevada has a Good Samaritan Law protecting people that administer opioid antagonists to a person experiencing an opioid overdose.

Nevada—and Las Vegas in particular—also has a serious problem with alcohol and stimulant misuse.

Addiction Treatment

If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, it’s not too late to get help. Effective rehabilitation facilities like Desert Hope have assisted many people in getting sober and living fulfilling lives in recovery.

Desert Hope provides a full continuum of care, meaning they provide everything from:

• Medical detox, so that you can withdraw safely.
• Rehabilitation treatment where you’ll learn positive coping mechanisms to avoid and overcome the triggers that lead you to use substance. These range from highly intensive programs like inpatient treatment in a hospital setting, to telehealth programs that allow you to attend therapy sessions from the comfort of your home.
• Facilitating aftercare so that you find a supportive network that will help you stay focused on long-term recovery.

Desert Hope has specialized treatment tracks for patients who are:

• Military veterans.
• First responders.
• Trauma survivors.
• Men or women.
• LGBTQ+.

Specialized rehabilitation programs allow patients to receive treatment alongside peers that share many of the same unique experiences and struggles under the guidance of an empathetic, caring staff.

It is highly important that people suffering from co-occurring disorders—meaning they have other psychological problems in addition to substance use disorder—receive treatment for all these issues simultaneously. Approximately 50% of people suffering from addiction have a co-occurring disorder. That is why effective treatment facilities like Desert Hope perform a thorough evaluation of patients when they enter detox or other rehabilitation programs.

Addiction is now recognized as a treatable chronic disease. Prolonged abuse of drugs or alcohol alters brain structures that reinforce and reward drug-seeking behaviors. If you’ve had trouble getting and remaining sober it’s not due to a lack of strength or willpower—you may just need the right form of treatment. And if you have had success in treatment before but relapsed, it’s not too late to get back on track.

Please reach out to an admissions navigator at to learn more about Desert Hope or other American Addiction Centers’ (AAC) facilities.