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St. Louis: Ground Zero For The Heroin Epidemic
St, Louis—perched on the banks of both the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers,
is well-known for its iconic arch, its absolute love of baseball, and the incredible stubbornness of its residents. In fact, Missouri as a whole is known as "The Show-Me State," which refers to the stalwart nature of its people, who firmly believe in seeing things for themselves, before they believe them. But despite this well-known characterization, in recent years, the great city of St. Louis has become known as something far more sinister- ground zero for the opioid epidemic.
In St. Louis, drug overdose deaths involving heroin are now happening at a rate of about 88 per 100,000 residents, which exceeds the national average of the country at large by more than 3.7 times over! In 2019, St. Louis lost roughly three people per day due to opioid overdoses, (according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse) and, that marked the 12th consecutive year of drug fatalities rising in the region. Heroin is often the second stop after a person becomes addicted to prescription opioids—which for years have been over-prescribed by medical providers. Just a few of these highly addictive pills can get even the most careful person hooked and send them on the long spiral down into heroin use (as heroin is cheaper and often easier to obtain.)
One additional reason for the staggering rise in fatalities may be the introduction of fentanyl—a powerful synthetic opioid that is actually fifty times more powerful than heroin—which drug dealers often add to the heroin they sell to increase their profits. Drug addicts often have no idea what they are ingesting, and thus it's easy to see how an overdose could happen.
So, what's the solution for St. Louis? Federal grants for opioid treatment have increased access in Missouri to the drug Narcan (also called Naloxone) which--when administered correctly and in a timely fashion--can reverse the effects of an overdose. Additionally, the grants fund counseling and residential services to thousands of people. We can only hope that the effort will be successful.
Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service Settings and Approaches
Many addictive substances are easily attainable within the St. Louis region, such as: meth, heroin, marijuana, and alcohol.
The reasons that individuals begin abusing addictive substances varies. Often, what those who end up addicted to drugs and alcohol have in common is an inability to overcome their reliance upon these substances on their own.
For these individuals, St. Louis provides several various rehabilitation programs so clients can search out one in a suitable location such as: short term drug and alcohol rehab centers, long term rehabs, inpatient detox programs, inpatient rehabs, intensive outpatient treatment.
These rehabilitation programs use a range of approaches, ranging from long-established approaches to recently developed techniques, to deliver clients with a successful evidence-based path to sustained sobriety. These approaches may include: dual diagnosis drug rehab, relapse prevention, contingency management/motivational incentive, group therapy, group therapy, activity therapy.
Special Programs for Substance Abuse Treatment
Since addiction has an effect on every individual differently, local programs provide special resources including domestic violence, treatment for spanish-speaking clients, self-help groups, housing services, substance abuse education, aftercare/continuing care to help meet a client's recovery to their specific needs.
Those having to deal with alcohol and drug use can receive instruction in selecting the exact program for their needs by getting in touch with any of the area's rehab centers.
Addiction Treatment Program Payment Alternatives
Funding should not be an obstacle to treatment for those struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. That is the reason local rehab programs offer several payment options, like cash or self-payment, private insurance, sliding fee scale, payment assistance, access to recovery (atr) voucher, state welfare or child and family services funds, to help clients' distinct economic circumstances.
People who are seeking drug and alcohol treatment can find a center, rehab, resource, and payment method within the St. Louis area that will guide them to recover from their substance abuse problem and begin the life they want to lead.
