Surveys on drug and alcohol problems in California show some disturbing things. Rates of addiction for those over 25 are well above national averages, and California is near the top of the states in terms of adult drug abuse. Drugs are more abused than alcohol in California, and the most widely abused drug is now methamphetamine. This is an extremely destructive and highly addictive drug. Meth causes a deep dependency that can ruin lives, health, relationships, and finances.

The numbers of people admitted to California’s drug and alcohol treatment centers have continued to climb as years go by- from a little under 155,000 in 2002, to almost 200,000 in 2006 (the last year for which we have data). Of all of California’s substance abuse treatment admissions, less than ten percent were strictly for alcohol abuse. A whopping thirty six percent of all admissions were for deadly methamphetamine, further illustrating the insidious nature of this drug and the fact that people seriously need help in fighting it.

If you live in California and you need drug or alcohol rehab, you have many choices when it comes to choosing a center. As of 2006, there were over eighteen hundred recognized substance abuse treatment facilities in the state. Over eleven hundred of these are at least partly funded by the state, local or federal government, and 25% of them have service contracts with hospitals and other entities. There are over four hundred privately run facilities in the state of California, which provide both residential and outpatient treatment services.

California’s drug and alcohol treatment centers aren’t all created equally. They are varied in their experience with specific types of addictions, and the services they offer. Although many people admitted to treatment in California are there because of an addiction to heroin or another opiate, there aren’t many treatment facilities in California that are certified to distribute medicines to treat these addictions. In 2006, only 921 doctors in California offered buprenorphine, and only 132 of the over eighteen hundred facilities offered methadone treatment. If you or someone you know is entering a drug treatment facility in California, you need to be sure that your chosen facility offers the programs and services you require.

Almost nine percent of people admitted to drug or alcohol treatment in California in 2006 were under eighteen. Parents should learn more about the drugs that their kids are exposed to. Over sixty percent of California high school seniors had tried marijuana in 2006, and almost half of eleventh-graders had used some kind of drug. A California child’s likelihood of ending up in rehab are much higher than that of children in other states. We all know that the younger a person is when they begin using drugs and alcohol, the more likely they are to eventually develop an addiction.

These facts further illustrate the need for early detection of substance abuse problems. Drug treatment in California is much more common and widely available than in some other states, and people have so many choices- they aren’t limited to just counseling, or detox. A good treatment will encompass these two things, as well as behavior therapy and continuing support, to minimize the chances of a relapse. Over two thousand treatment centers in California give the state’s addicts hope for recovery.

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