Joliet Treatment Centers

Joliet, Illinois, is home to around 106,221 people. It is found in Will County and it is approximately 20 miles outside of Aurora and 18 miles outside of Naperville. During the 1990s, the city saw a 38% increase in population. This growth rate has now been substantially diminished, although population continues to grow at a rate of approximately 5% per year. Joliet has also its fair share of drug and alcohol abuse problems. However, the city has put in place various prevention, intervention, and treatment methods, and these seem to have been successful so far. This is demonstrated in the fact that property crime levels, of which there is a strong correlation and causality with substance abuse, are lower than what they are in Illinois as a whole.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Joliet, IL

Various studies have been completed to paint a true picture of the level of drug and alcohol abuse in the city. One study looked specifically at the levels of inhalant abuse, which is a particularly problematic issue among young people. This study found that:

• 67.9% of those who have first used inhalants in the past 12 months were younger than 18.
• The average age of first time inhalant abuse is 16.9 years.

While inhalants are a popular drug of abuse among young people across the country, so is cannabis. Hence, to make sure that the city was able to put proper prevention, intervention, and education strategies in place to address this problem, a second study was conducted as to the level of cannabis abuse. This showed that the average age at which someone first starts to use cannabis is 17, which is very similar to the first time inhalant use.

Meanwhile, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) conducted a study on the types of drugs that were of most concern within the city. What they found was that the top substances of abuse are:

1. Heroin
2. Cocaine
3. Cannabis

Additionally, NIDA showed that there is a significant concern with the levels of accidental overdoses among heroin users in particular. One of the reasons why there has been a spike in the number of overdose deaths is because of the increase in potency of the drug, particularly now that it is cut with synthetic narcotics. Additionally, city officials are concerned about the number of people who aim to detox from heroin themselves. The associated side effects and withdrawal symptoms can be incredibly severe and there are many people who relapse almost as soon as they have started. If they then return to their previous usage levels, they will almost certainly overdose.

In order to avoid these situations, Joliet has improved its signposting activities. Additionally, the Will County Public Defender has started the city's "drug court". In October 2015, the first ten people graduated from this program, which means they had been clean for the duration of the program. Through this type of intervention, Joliet aims to make its city drug free By ensuring proper treatment options through detox and rehab facilities, those who do not come into contact with the law can also get the help that they require.