Delaware Drug Rehab and Alcohol Rehabilitation Treatment Centers and Programs
Tucked away between major population centers where the flood of illicit drugs entering the United States so often ends up, Delaware is the dubious beneficiary of traffic intended for bigger states. Drug operations looking for new markets and less law enforcement are moving to Delaware, bringing their evil trade with them. In consequence, Delaware ranks well above the national average for illicit drug dependency among citizens age 12 and over.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, Delaware
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), December 2008
The over 8,600 admissions to Delaware drug and alcohol treatment centers in 2008 were led by heroin (2,120), alcohol (2,107), and marijuana (1,613). While cocaine is a major problem throughout Delaware, it is rivaled by abuse of prescription oxycodone products like Percocet and Percodan. Delaware’s youth population is also under assault from a flood of club drugs, especially in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach. Along with Ecstasy, GHB, and ketamine, teens are likely to encounter alcohol, marijuana, and a variety of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals at raves, clubs, and beach parties all year round.
If parents in Delaware believe their children’s schools are adequately addressing the potential problems of drug abuse on campus, they should think again. About 6.5% of people in treatment in a one-day snapshot of Delaware rehabilitation centers in 2006 were under 18. A staggering number of Delaware schoolchildren report using a variety of illicit substances. The inhalant use shown below is especially troubling, for many of the very young children who sniff products like air fresheners never make it to high school.
To fight this growing problem, 43 Delaware drug and alcohol treatment centers were available to residents around the state in 2006, the most recent year for which data was available. The state spent $106 million in 2008 on mental health and addiction services, a significant commitment to helping its citizens with substance abuse treatment. In Delaware, these services included inpatient or outpatient care at a variety of treatment centers. Only three of the 43 Delaware rehabilitation centers are owned outright by the State of Delaware, however; the majority are private nonprofit facilities, with 11 being private for-profit treatment centers. This gives Delaware residents quite a broad spectrum of choices for treatment of substance abuse, but they should be aware that not all facilities offer the same programs.
Despite the very high prevalence of heroin in the state, only four Delaware drug treatment programs offered methadone treatment in 2006, and only 24 doctors statewide were certified to administer buprenorphine, a new and effective treatment for opiate addiction. People seeking drug and alcohol treatment in Delaware should therefore carefully evaluate their local options to determine if the programs offered address their particular need. Over 60% of all Delaware treatment centers receive public funding of some sort, making them widely accessible to residents, but staffing, funding, and facilities will vary. Patients hoping for residential care must choose from the 12 treatment centers in Delaware that offer such programs, or look out of state.
Whatever rehab center Delaware residents may choose, early identification of a substance abuse problem is key, followed by a comprehensive program of detoxification, counseling, and behavioral therapy. Families should not settle for programs that offer less than all three of these key elements.
Tucked away between major population centers where the flood of illicit drugs entering the United States so often ends up, Delaware is the dubious beneficiary of traffic intended for bigger states. Drug operations looking for new markets and less law enforcement are moving to Delaware, bringing their evil trade with them. In consequence, Delaware ranks well above the national average for illicit drug dependency among citizens age 12 and over.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, Delaware
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), December 2008
The over 8,600 admissions to Delaware drug and alcohol treatment centers in 2008 were led by heroin (2,120), alcohol (2,107), and marijuana (1,613). While cocaine is a major problem throughout Delaware, it is rivaled by abuse of prescription oxycodone products like Percocet and Percodan. Delaware’s youth population is also under assault from a flood of club drugs, especially in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach. Along with Ecstasy, GHB, and ketamine, teens are likely to encounter alcohol, marijuana, and a variety of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals at raves, clubs, and beach parties all year round.
If parents in Delaware believe their children’s schools are adequately addressing the potential problems of drug abuse on campus, they should think again. About 6.5% of people in treatment in a one-day snapshot of Delaware rehabilitation centers in 2006 were under 18. A staggering number of Delaware schoolchildren report using a variety of illicit substances. The inhalant use shown below is especially troubling, for many of the very young children who sniff products like air fresheners never make it to high school.
To fight this growing problem, 43 Delaware drug and alcohol treatment centers were available to residents around the state in 2006, the most recent year for which data was available. The state spent $106 million in 2008 on mental health and addiction services, a significant commitment to helping its citizens with substance abuse treatment. In Delaware, these services included inpatient or outpatient care at a variety of treatment centers. Only three of the 43 Delaware rehabilitation centers are owned outright by the State of Delaware, however; the majority are private nonprofit facilities, with 11 being private for-profit treatment centers. This gives Delaware residents quite a broad spectrum of choices for treatment of substance abuse, but they should be aware that not all facilities offer the same programs.
Despite the very high prevalence of heroin in the state, only four Delaware drug treatment programs offered methadone treatment in 2006, and only 24 doctors statewide were certified to administer buprenorphine, a new and effective treatment for opiate addiction. People seeking drug and alcohol treatment in Delaware should therefore carefully evaluate their local options to determine if the programs offered address their particular need. Over 60% of all Delaware treatment centers receive public funding of some sort, making them widely accessible to residents, but staffing, funding, and facilities will vary. Patients hoping for residential care must choose from the 12 treatment centers in Delaware that offer such programs, or look out of state.
Whatever rehab center Delaware residents may choose, early identification of a substance abuse problem is key, followed by a comprehensive program of detoxification, counseling, and behavioral therapy. Families should not settle for programs that offer less than all three of these key elements.
