
Close proximity to New York City makes Connecticut the recipient of many of New York’s less savory problems. Cocaine and heroin remain at the top of drug threats in Connecticut, and the state is a major transshipment route for drugs smuggled in from Canada down the New England Pipeline. For years, Connecticut has ranked among the highest of all states for both drug and alcohol abuse.

Of the more than 36,000 admissions for drug and alcohol treatment in Connecticut in 2006, far and away the most were related to heroin addiction. Connecticut rehabilitation facilities report that over 35% of all admissions, over 16,000 people, were treated for heroin alone. Its prevalence on Connecticut streets extends right into the state’s school system, where over 4% of students have tried it. Rather scary trends show up when adult and juvenile drug use in Connecticut is compared side by side:


Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
State of Connecticut Profile of Drug Indicators
January 2008
Parents who believe their child’s school is safely drug-free, or that no one in their family could end up in a Connecticut drug and alcohol treatment center should take note of that 7% use of painkillers available in many home medicine cabinets. In addition, over 50% of all Connecticut high school 11th graders have experimented with marijuana. While there is no guarantee that experimentation will lead to sampling other drugs, the majority of users of hard drugs began by using perceived “safe” substances like alcohol, marijuana or tobacco first.
For those caught in the addiction trap in Connecticut, rehabilitation centers around the state offer hope. In 2006, the most recent year for which data is available, there were 209 drug and alcohol treatment centers in Connecticut. Most families will find one in their local community or a reasonable distance away. Most (86%) are private nonprofit operations; 12 are private for-profit and one is owned by a tribal government. The rest are run by public agencies. Such a variety offers choices to families seeking treatment, but they should be aware that not all facilities offer the same programs. Those hoping for help with an opiate addiction through a Connecticut drug treatment program may not find one in their area. Just 41 facilities offered opioid treatment in 2006. In reality, drug and alcohol centers in Connecticut and elsewhere differ in their approach and areas of specialization. Prospective patients should evaluate all options carefully to ensure that they encompass all the essential elements for a positive outcome.
While the majority of Connecticut rehabilitation centers offer outpatient care, this may not be right for a particular patient. Some addictions are severe enough to require inpatient detoxification and follow-up. Other patients will benefit most from residential programs offered by 66 of the 209 treatment facilities in Connecticut. All patients will require some form of addiction evaluation, followed by detoxification, counseling, and behavior modification to get clean and prevent relapse. A strong support group will also help to reinforce the new behaviors and keep a newly clean addict on track.
With drug cartels targeting younger children and club drugs and prescription painkillers spreading through the whole state, no one is safe from even accidental substance abuse. Connecticut rehab facilities can help identify problems and save lives that might otherwise be lost.