Arizona Drug Rehab and Alcohol Rehabilitation Treatment Centers and Programs
Not surprisingly, considering the extreme drug turmoil in Mexico and the fact that Mexican drug cartels control a majority of illicit drug trafficking in the United States, Arizona’s long border with Mexico means that drugs are a significant problem in the state. Arizona’s youth population is at special risk; the state ranks among the 10 highest in the nation for use of cocaine and drugs other than marijuana by people aged 12-17. Its alcohol problem, as shown, ranks consistently above national averages.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, Arizona
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), December 2008
Abuse of prescription drugs like Oxycontin and Vicodin is also on the rise in Arizona. Drug treatment centers in the state, per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, report that over 50% of new admissions for drug addiction treatment in the Phoenix metropolitan area are for pharmaceutical controlled substances. This explosion in diversion and abuse of legal drugs makes the family medicine cabinet a potential time bomb, and every party where young people are offered alcohol and “safe” drugs to experiment with could end in tragedy.
Over 24,000 people were admitted to Arizona drug and alcohol treatment facilities in 2006, by far the greatest percentage (14.9%) for methamphetamine addiction. Over 200 drug and alcohol rehab centers in Arizona, located across the state, serve Arizona residents. Twenty of them are operated by tribal authorities; well over half, as of 2006, the most recent year for which data was available, were private nonprofit facilities, while 62 were private for-profit treatment centers. This broad mix offers Arizona citizens choices for treatment, from outpatient care to residential programs.
Families should evaluate all options carefully, however. Not all facilities nor all programs are the same. Some types of drug addiction, such as for opiates like heroin or painkillers, require special certification, which not all Arizona drug and alcohol treatment centers have acquired, and not all rehab facilities even offer opioid programs. Only 29 drug treatment facilities in Arizona provide opioid treatment, while just 40 programs and 137 doctors were certified to provide the controlled drug buprenorphine for treating opiate addiction. Families should carefully investigate the type of services offered (inpatient, outpatient, detoxification, counseling, etc.), the clinic’s specialty (drug treatment, alcohol recovery), and staffing and experience. Because methamphetamine is a relatively new problem in Arizona, treatment facilities will likely vary in their experience with it, and should be evaluated as to whether their programs can adequately address both the physical debilitation and the extreme psychological dependency created by this drug. Detoxification, counseling, behavior modification, and strong ongoing support should be part of any drug and alcohol treatment program.
The prevalence of drugs on Arizona’s streets and in its schools increases the odds that any child may someday need the services of a drug and alcohol treatment program. Arizona teens surveyed in 2006 indicate that children are being targeted at younger ages, and exposed to a wider variety of substances than ever before. Many studies have shown that the younger people are exposed to drugs and alcohol, the greater the likelihood that they will be to develop an addiction at some point.
Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
State of Arizona Profile of Drug Indicators
April 2008
Drug smugglers ensure that drugs are available in Arizona; drug and alcohol treatment centers ensure that they don’t have to ruin lives forever.
- Arizona City
- Benson
- Bisbee
- Bullhead City
- Casa Grande
- Chandler
- Clifton
- Cottonwood
- Douglas
- Eloy
- Flagstaff
- Fort Defiance
- Fort McDowell
- Glendale
- Guadalupe
- Holbrook
- Kayenta
- Kingman
- Mesa
- Nogales
- Page
- Parker
- Payson
- Peach Springs
- Phoenix
- Prescott
- Sacaton
- Safford
- Saint Johns
- San Carlos
- San Luis
- Scottsdale
- Second Mesa
- Sedona
- Show Low
- Sierra Vista
- Springerville
- Tempe
- Tolleson
- Tuba City
- Tucson
- Wellton
- Whiteriver
- Wickenburg
- Willcox
- Winslow
- Yuma
Not surprisingly, considering the extreme drug turmoil in Mexico and the fact that Mexican drug cartels control a majority of illicit drug trafficking in the United States, Arizona’s long border with Mexico means that drugs are a significant problem in the state. Arizona’s youth population is at special risk; the state ranks among the 10 highest in the nation for use of cocaine and drugs other than marijuana by people aged 12-17. Its alcohol problem, as shown, ranks consistently above national averages.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, Arizona
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), December 2008
Abuse of prescription drugs like Oxycontin and Vicodin is also on the rise in Arizona. Drug treatment centers in the state, per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, report that over 50% of new admissions for drug addiction treatment in the Phoenix metropolitan area are for pharmaceutical controlled substances. This explosion in diversion and abuse of legal drugs makes the family medicine cabinet a potential time bomb, and every party where young people are offered alcohol and “safe” drugs to experiment with could end in tragedy.
Over 24,000 people were admitted to Arizona drug and alcohol treatment facilities in 2006, by far the greatest percentage (14.9%) for methamphetamine addiction. Over 200 drug and alcohol rehab centers in Arizona, located across the state, serve Arizona residents. Twenty of them are operated by tribal authorities; well over half, as of 2006, the most recent year for which data was available, were private nonprofit facilities, while 62 were private for-profit treatment centers. This broad mix offers Arizona citizens choices for treatment, from outpatient care to residential programs.
Families should evaluate all options carefully, however. Not all facilities nor all programs are the same. Some types of drug addiction, such as for opiates like heroin or painkillers, require special certification, which not all Arizona drug and alcohol treatment centers have acquired, and not all rehab facilities even offer opioid programs. Only 29 drug treatment facilities in Arizona provide opioid treatment, while just 40 programs and 137 doctors were certified to provide the controlled drug buprenorphine for treating opiate addiction. Families should carefully investigate the type of services offered (inpatient, outpatient, detoxification, counseling, etc.), the clinic’s specialty (drug treatment, alcohol recovery), and staffing and experience. Because methamphetamine is a relatively new problem in Arizona, treatment facilities will likely vary in their experience with it, and should be evaluated as to whether their programs can adequately address both the physical debilitation and the extreme psychological dependency created by this drug. Detoxification, counseling, behavior modification, and strong ongoing support should be part of any drug and alcohol treatment program.
The prevalence of drugs on Arizona’s streets and in its schools increases the odds that any child may someday need the services of a drug and alcohol treatment program. Arizona teens surveyed in 2006 indicate that children are being targeted at younger ages, and exposed to a wider variety of substances than ever before. Many studies have shown that the younger people are exposed to drugs and alcohol, the greater the likelihood that they will be to develop an addiction at some point.
Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
State of Arizona Profile of Drug Indicators
April 2008
Drug smugglers ensure that drugs are available in Arizona; drug and alcohol treatment centers ensure that they don’t have to ruin lives forever.
- Arizona City
- Benson
- Bisbee
- Bullhead City
- Casa Grande
- Chandler
- Clifton
- Cottonwood
- Douglas
- Eloy
- Flagstaff
- Fort Defiance
- Fort McDowell
- Glendale
- Guadalupe
- Holbrook
- Kayenta
- Kingman
- Mesa
- Nogales
- Page
- Parker
- Payson
- Peach Springs
- Phoenix
- Prescott
- Sacaton
- Safford
- Saint Johns
- San Carlos
- San Luis
- Scottsdale
- Second Mesa
- Sedona
- Show Low
- Sierra Vista
- Springerville
- Tempe
- Tolleson
- Tuba City
- Tucson
- Wellton
- Whiteriver
- Wickenburg
- Willcox
- Winslow
- Yuma
