Drug Addiction And Treatment In California - The Basics

California is the third largest state in the United States of America in terms of geography and one of the most populated states in the country. The residents of this state come from diverse background in terms of their racial profile and ethnicity. According to the statistics drawn by the US Department of Health and Human Services, teenage drug abuse affects approximately 9.5% of the relevant population, and 20.5% and 6.81% of the relevant population of 18 to 25 years and 26+ years respectively. Although these figures are comparatively less than the ones taken about 5 years ago, the state of affairs in terms of drug abuse in California is still rated as high. Let us take a deeper look into the state government strategy for controlling this addiction issue and the treatments available in the region for those identified with addiction.

The drug availability and distribution in California is largely affected by the diverse culture of the residents of the state. Some drugs like marijuana and methamphetamine is manufactured locally whereas others like heroin and cocaine is largely smuggled from Mexico. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, urban areas like San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento have shown high use of crack cocaine and heroin, whereas the rural areas are reported of high usage of methamphetamine. The increased security measures by the law enforcement post 2001 have shown good results and have decreased the manufacturing and distribution of illicit substances substantially.

Since 1999, the DEA has taken several projects at the national and international level to control the distribution of drugs. Along with that, several state and private organizations have set a well established network of drug rehabilitation programs and centers in California. Non profit organizations like the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and Support Systems have taken up the cause of helping affected addicts go through substance abuse treatment programs with the aim of complete rehabilitation in future.

A number of these agencies offer special treatment programs for special groups like teenagers. These programs are well structured to deal with the basic medical issues related to drug addiction and rehabilitation and also other vital issues like emotional stress and how to deal with it, self esteem, stress reduction and how to save children and other family members of addicts.

Many types of treatments are available like in house treatment, home treatment, support groups, education groups and discussion groups. There are many programs available for the family of drug addicts, which teach them to recognize early symptoms of substance addiction and support system they can build if any member of their families get affected. While several organizations have fees attached to these rehabilitation programs, there are free services available for those who cannot afford these treatments.