Georgia Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs
The American drug crisis means that even residents of Georgia are not entirely immune to the opioid crisis or the substance use disorders that have been testing and trying the rest of the country.
This state, in particular, has an intimate relationship with ongoing addiction and substance abuse. In fact, it was ranked among the top 11 states in terms of the number of overdose deaths linked to prescription opioid medications.
Statistics On Georgia's Addiction Treatment
44890 people checked into a treatment facility or program in 2005 as a result of abusing and becoming dependent on alcohol and/r drugs. Of the number, about 39.9 percent were female while 60.1 percent were male.
From 2006 to 2007, over 212000 people in the state required ongoing therapy and treatment for abusing illicit drugs. Unfortunately, however, they did not get all the treatment that they needed. As of 2005, the state had 277 alcohol and drug rehabs. This was the last year when these statistics were published.
Commonly Abused Substances In Georgia
Ongoing drug abuse has been more of a national epidemic than a thought. The numbers have also been rising over the past few years. This is primarily because heroin is increasingly becoming a cheap alternative drug that works the same as other opiates.
1. Alcohol
In the general population, about 9427 people entered treatment facilities just for alcohol while 6394 needed dual diagnosis addiction treatment for both an alcohol use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder in 2005.
Of the general population, 9,427 people were treated for alcoholism alone. 6,394 people were treated for alcohol abuse as well as a secondary substance in 2005.
2. Marijuana
At the moment, cannabis is the most commonly used and abused drug within the state. This drug is also readily available all through the state - making it easier and cheaper for more people to get their hands on it. As a result, it is not surprising that 6918 residents were admitted to Georgia addiction treatment centers for this drug in 2005.
3. Cocaine
The same year, 8545 people abused cocaine and checked into treatment centers. An additional 2733 sought rehabilitation services because they used this drug through a variety of other means apart from smoking.
In 2007, it is estimated that 9 percent of all the 12th graders in the state reported that they used this drug at least once at one point or the other during their lifetime. The drug was also cited as the most popular among people receiving addiction treatment and rehabilitation services in 2005.
4. Heroin
Georgia is one of the transit sites and distribution points for heroin in the United States. However, the availability of this drug in the state seems to be relatively stable - especially in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Compared to other states, therefore, the heroin problem in Georgia is not all that severe. For instance, only about 661 people checked into addiction treatment centers for heroin abuse in 2005.
5. Prescription Drugs
Oxycodone and hydrocodone products are increasingly prevalent - making them a major drug problem in Georgia. Additionally, Vicodin and Xanax are among the most used and abused pharmaceuticals in the state.
New trends show that methadone has been replacing oxycodone. This is because physicians have been increasingly switching to methadone from oxycodone while trying to treat and manage pain - primarily because methadone is relatively cheaper than oxycodone products.
6. Amphetamines
In 2005 alone, more than 5600 people checked into addiction treatment centers for abusing amphetamines. This was a significant increase from the number of people who sought such treatment the previous year.
Drug Court Statistics, Injuries, And Fatalities
Georgia is the final destination for most drugs before they are distributed along the American trafficking route that heads to the East Coast. This is because it is conveniently located between Miami and New York City.
As a result, it has many drug courts. By 2009, for instance, the state had 67 drug courts while 43 courts had been operations for a minimum of 2 years but that time. In recent years, 15 more have been added to this list while there are plans for another 9 more.
Consider the following statistics about drugs in Georgia:
Seizures of meth labs in Georgia rose from 2007 through to 2009 by 91 percent; this mirrored trends on the national stage
In 2007, the DEA (or the Drug Enforcement Administration) reported that it had made 513 arrests for drug related violations in the state
In 2008, a total of 26 defendants who were federally sentenced in Georgia were apprehended committing drug related offense; of these 44 percent involved cocaine
The numbers of methamphetamine seizures in Georgia have been fluctuation from 175 lab incidents in 2004, to 131 incidents in 2005, to 156 in 2006, to 55 in 2007 and finally 78 in 2008
Georgia saw more than 3,000 juvenile arrests for possession of marijuana in 2008
The same year, 21 percent of all the inmates in the state reported that they had a drug problem while an additional 14 percent had both an alcohol and a drug problem
In 2008, 26 percent of all the defendants who were federally sentenced in Georgia reported that they had committed drug related crimes and offenses
Approximately 44 percent of all the drug offenses tried and sentenced in this state involved powdered cocaine
973 people lose their lives to drug related activities - in comparison to 1745 deaths linked to motor car accidents and 1244 arising from firearm incidents
The Cost Of Georgia's Substance Abuse Problem
Alcohol and drug addiction continue to affect millions of people all over the United States - Georgia notwithstanding. NIDA - or the National Institute on Drug Abuse - reports that addiction to alcohol continues costing our country more than $249 billion on an annual basis while illicit drugs take up an additional $193 billion. On the other hand, prescription opioids such as OxyContin and Codeine account for losses averaging $78.5 billion.
However the cost to the individual alcoholic or substance user tends to be far worse. In many cases, drugs and alcohol can bring about homelessness, lost jobs, destroyed health, and broken families - especially if these conditions are not treated properly.
In Georgia, 21 percent of local residents reported that they drank on a regular basis - binge drinking to be more specific. This was according to the NSDUH - or the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Although you might assume that binge drinking once or twice every month does not seem like much, it is still good to remember that this can often turn out to be a spiraling road that causes you to sink further down the throes of addiction.
Additionally, the Substance Abuse Research Alliance detailed that illicit and prescription opioid use in Georgia had been escalating over the years. In 2015, for instance, the paper reported that 549 residents had overdosed on opioids. Additionally, the rates of overdose involving opioids in 29 of all the 159 counties in this state, outpaced the similar average rates in the United States.
The abuse of opioid drugs has been on the rise in the past few years. The SARA report, for instance, has termed heroin use an epidemic in the state. This is because of the escalating number of deaths related to opioids - which have increased by close to ten times over the past decade and a half.
Addiction Programs In Georgia
To deal with the substance use disorders that are plaguing its residents, Georgia has instituted a number of treatment and prevention measures. These measures include the following:
- The comprehensive addiction and recovery act of 2016, which addresses the opioid epidemic
- Improved access to ongoing rehabilitation and treatment resources
In the same way, there are many different types of rehabilitation and treatment options available in this state. These programs are designed to help those who are struggling with alcohol and drug addiction in Georgia.
Most of these centers will first assess you to determine your needs, preferences, and requirements first before they admit you into their program. After that, they can provide a wide variety of treatment options - which will be customized to increase your chances of full recovery in the long term.
Some of the options available, for instance, may include:
- Aftercare
- Alcohol and drug detoxification
- Alumni support groups
- Behavioral therapies
- Complementary therapies
- Exercise programs
- Family therapy
- Group counseling
- Individual counseling
- Inpatient drug rehab
- Nutrition education
- Outpatient addiction treatment
If you have been struggling with a substance use disorder - or any other problem linked with drugs and/or alcohol - in Georgia, you should remember that you don't need to struggle alone. There are many treatment options available to you, and it should be easy to find the right one for you. The first step is to start looking and you will soon be on the way to a drug-free, sober, and happy lifestyle.
