Alexandria Treatment Centers

Alexandria, Virginia, is a beautiful, rural community. It is home to around 293,462 people. Unfortunately, like in many other parts of the country, there are increasing concerns about addiction or substance abuse.

Alcohol Abuse in Alexandria, VA

A recent study looked at the rates of alcohol consumption among the 148,892 inhabitants in Alexandria. It was found that:

• Around 139,000 either do not drink, drink very irregularly, or do not drink to an excessive level.
• Around 18,000 people consume alcohol to excess and are considered as requiring help. This equates to around 12% of the population. Surprisingly, this is considerably lower than in many other parts of the country.
• Many young people find drinking to be normal and most will have tried alcohol long before they reach the legal drinking age of 21. They have also been found to be heavily influenced by advertisements for alcohol.

Drug Abuse in Alexandria, VA

Besides looking into the rates of alcohol addiction, public health officials also studied the rates of drug abuse. They found that 27,292 people currently use illicit substances or prescription medication in a non-medical way. Specifically, they found that:

• 4,312 people use both alcohol and another substance.
• 4,121 people use cannabis.
• 3,466 people use heroin.
• 2,429 people smoke or snort crack cocaine.
• 2,101 people use stimulants.
• 873 people use opiates other than heroin, such as prescription medication.
• 819 people use powder cocaine.
• 55 people use tranquilizers.
• 33 people use inhalants.
• 31 people use sedatives.
• 30 people use PCP.
• 28 people use hallucinogenic drugs like LSD or ecstasy.
• 109 people use other substances.

Perceptions in Alexandria

Lastly, public health officials have looked at the perceptions people have towards substance abuse, detox, treatment, and more. They found that:

• 79% of people do not currently use drugs or alcohol.
• 77% of people have never used illicit drugs or alcohol.
• 93% of people know someone who uses cannabis.
• 52% of people believe cannabis should be available for medicinal purposes.
• 40% of people first tried an illicit substance between the ages of 18 and 25. None started between the ages of 36 and 50. Worryingly, 7% were over the age of 50.
• 73% of people believe cocaine is commonly abused in Alexandria.
• 76% of people feel meth use is on the rise in Alexandria.
• 78% of people believe that there is no danger in using MDMA or Ecstasy. This has prompted the local government to put a significant intervention in place to educate people, and particularly young people, about the dangers of this drug.
• 77% of people feel that there is a growing problem with non-medical abuse of prescription medication.
• 78% of people believe that the best way to deal with substance abuse is by giving people access to proper detox and rehab facilities, where they can be supported to get better.

These statistics have demonstrated to public health officials in Alexandria that more work needs to be done, and they have put a number of outreach programs and other systems in place to improve on the situation.