Fort Collins Treatment Centers

Fort Collins, Colorado, is a beautiful part of the country. Some 149,817 people live there, generally in good health and happiness. However, the city is not free from substance abuse problems, and by some estimates, the situation is even worsening.

Fort Collins, CO, and Alcohol

Research has shown that, from the 152,696 people in Fort Collins:

• 67,418 people do not consume any alcohol.
• 38,952 people do consume alcohol, but less than once per week.
• 10,370 people consume alcohol regularly, but within acceptable levels.
• 35,956 people, around 25% of the population, drink alcohol at a volume that is classed as a problem.
• Young people have been found to be heavily influenced by alcohol advertising.
• Alcohol has been found to be a gateway substance for other drugs.
• Young people find it easy to access alcohol, often long before they reach the legal drinking age of 21.

Alcohol addiction is a serious and very dangerous disorder. It is vital, therefore, that people who have it receive help. Fort Collins officials have engaged firstly in a number of prevention campaigns, aiming to educate young people in particular about the dangers of alcohol, and providing them with healthier alternatives.

At the same time, they have put intervention efforts in place to help those who have fallen into the grips of alcohol addiction. Specifically, people are now able to access medically assisted detox. This is very important with alcoholism, because the withdrawal symptoms have the potential to be lethal.

After patients have completed detox, they are encouraged to enter rehab, equipping them with the skills to stay away from alcohol in the future.

Fort Collins, CO, and Drugs

Drug use, including illicit street drugs and nonmedical use of prescription drugs, is also a significant problem in Fort Collins. Statistics have shown that:

• 2,201 people consume alcohol and also abuse another substance.
• 2,105 people use cannabis.
• 1,769 people use heroin.
• 1,240 people smoke or snort crack cocaine.
• 1,073 people use stimulants.
• 446 people use opiates other than heroin, including prescription medication.
• 418 people use powder cocaine.
• 28 people use tranquilizers.
• 17 people use inhalants.
• 16 people use sedatives.
• 15 people use PCP.
• 56 people use illicit substances other than the ones mentioned above.

As with alcohol abuse, Fort Collins has put numerous programs in place to combat drug abuse. Again, the main focus for public health officials are aiming to reduce the number of people who first try substances in the first place. This is done through various outreach programs, community partnership, and parent and young person education programs. At the same time, residential and outpatient treatment facilities, known as rehab facilities, also exist for people who have an addiction and have gone through detox. These facilities provide a wealth of support through counseling and therapy in an effort to enable people to be healed completely. Once they have finished the program, patients are encouraged to take part in aftercare programs so that they are less likely to relapse.