Charlotte Treatment Centers

Health and criminal justice professionals in Charlotte, NC, understand how much of an impact drug and alcohol abuse can have on the lives of people. And this is true not just for the individuals with the substance abuse problem, but rather for everyone around them, including the wider community. In order to address this, excellent services have been made available throughout Charlotte, ensuring that people can get the help that they need.

Charlotte Drug and Alcohol Abuse Statistics

There are a number of significant problems in terms of drug and alcohol abuse. Worryingly, fatal overdoses across North Carolina have recently reached record highs. Attention is being paid to this, and processes are being developed to prevent such occurrences.

Perhaps even more alarming is that, in Charlotte, there has been a staggering increase in the number of teens who abuse drugs. In 2016, statistics on teens showed that:

• 138 people overdosed by taking heroin
• 10 teenagers who overdosed died

It is of significant concern that so many young people now struggle with drug abuse problems. The Department of Health and Human Services have researched the problem, which demonstrated just how widespread is the exposure of teenagers to alcohol and drugs. Specifically, they found that:

• 34% of high school students in North Carolina had consumed alcohol at least once over the past 30 days.
• 18% of teenagers had their first drink before they were 13 years old.
• 43% of teenagers in North Carolina had used marijuana.
• 7% of teenagers in North Carolina abused prescription drugs, particularly painkillers.

While these findings were focused mainly on North Carolina as a whole, it seems they were also representative of Charlotte in particular. Parents regularly report concerns about marijuana abuse, and schools have reported that there has been a surge in the number of students who abuse heroin. These are alarming findings, and Charlotte is doing what it can to respond.

Treatment in Charlotte, NC

Officials in Charlotte understand that the process of treatment starts with an intervention. Because substance abuse is so widespread, and seemingly socially acceptable among young people, few are ready to accept that they need to change. Hence, by educating others about the process of intervention, it is hoped that more people will be able to get the help that they need.

Those who do accept that they need help can then go through a process of detox. This period enables them to rid their body of the chemical remnants of their chosen substance, and is the first step towards beating an addiction. This is followed by a period of rehab. Rehab can be offered on an inpatient (residential) and outpatient basis. However, the recommendation is for patients to attend residential services, regardless of how convenient outpatient services may seem.

Once they have gone through rehab treatment, they are offered extensive aftercare services. These include sober living facilities, 12 step programs, support groups, and continued counseling. Additionally, Charlotte is investing heavily in prevention efforts, hoping that this will turn around the negative trend of increased drug abuse, particularly among the young.