In 2007, over 106,000 people were admitted to Massachusetts’ drug and alcohol treatment centers, and over one third of those admissions were for heroin addiction. Forty percent were for alcohol abuse. Unfortunately Massachusetts is well above the national average for both drug and alcohol use and addiction. Here is a breakdown of admissions to Massachusetts’ drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers by drug of choice:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, Massachusetts
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), December 2008
Just like Maine, Massachusetts sits right on the New England Pipeline, which is a drug smuggling route that originates in Canada. Plus, the port at Boston makes it easier for smugglers to bring in their illicit cargo. As drugs become more widely available in the state, the number of treatment facilities in Massachusetts is going down. In 2006 there were 312 treatment centers, but in 2002 there were 352. Of all those still in existence, 250 were privately owned and nonprofit, and the rest were privately run and for profit. Just because they are private doesn’t mean they are out of reach, though. Most of Massachusetts’ rehab centers (about seventy percent) receive some sort of public funding, which makes them accessible to more people.
The programs offered by the rehabilitation centers in Massachusetts depend on the amount of funding they receive, their staffing situation, and various other factors. Almost forty percent of Massachusetts’ rehab centers offer residential treatment, and sixty six percent provide their services on an outpatient basis. This gives the people of Massachusetts a lot of choices when it comes to seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol problem. In addition, there are 58 facilities in Massachusetts that offer opiate addiction treatment programs, and many used buprenorphine or methadone to aid the patient in getting through those painful withdrawal symptoms. However, not all treatment centers in Massachusetts are licensed to dispense those medications, so that should be a factor in any decisions that are made.
One way that Massachusetts is far ahead of the rest of the country is in how they assist their people in funding their drug rehabilitation and treatment. Recently, the state passed a law that required its health insurance companies to cover any and all medical treatment for drug addiction. This and the mandatory insurance coverage in the state removes a large barrier that once stood in the way of many people receiving treatment.
If you know someone that has a drug problem, it’s important that you seek help as soon as possible. The longer an addiction goes untreated, the harder it will be to beat. Also, parents need to be especially vigilant for signs of drug abuse in their children, because those that start using drugs in their teen years are a lot more likely to get addicted. However, early treatment in one of Massachusetts’ drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers is the best way to break the cycle of addiction.
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