Drug and alcohol abuse in Alabama is not limited to a single region or just to metropolitan areas. The Alabama Substance Abuse Data Book states that, in general, rural counties score best on studies of drug and alcohol abuse, but are not immune. Among the ten worst counties for alcohol abuse, five were metropolitan (Baldwin, Houston, Lauderdale, Autauga and Colbert), and five were more rural (Tallapoosa, Covington, Wilcox, Chambers and Coosa). Likewise, four of the ten worst counties for drug abuse were rural. Alcohol and drug treatment in Alabama is not, therefore, just for other people.

Drug and alcohol use by young people has been on the rise in Alabama, underscored by a worrisome increase in the use of club drugs. Nationwide surveys indicate an increasing “it’s not dangerous” attitude among teenagers toward Ecstasy, LSD, and other hallucinogens. These very dangerous drugs often serve as a doorway to prolonged and destructive drug use requiring professional treatment through a qualified drug and alcohol recovery center or treatment program. Adult drug use is also rising in Alabama, with abuse of prescription drugs spiking year over year and meth labs proliferating. Prescription painkillers like Oxycontin provide an unrealized threat to families across the economic spectrum.

In 2003, Alabama’s death rate from alcohol was 23% higher than the U.S. average. Tallapoosa County scored the worst for alcohol use, while Houston County scored lowest for drugs. However, even in peaceful Bibb County, which scored best overall for combined drug and alcohol use, 75% of teenagers had used alcohol sometime in their lifetime, 46% had tried marijuana, and 17% had tried drugs other than hallucinogens. Three percent had tried cocaine, proving that nowhere in the United States is truly safe from the creeping influence of drugs and their attendant problems. Parents should therefore be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of drug abuse and be prepared to seek treatment as soon as possible.

Parents and families faced with the unthinkable—a substance abuse problem in their ranks—have choices today that did not exist a generation ago. Drug and alcohol treatment in Alabama has come a long way, thanks in part to an increased focus on prevention and treatment. In 2007, over 74,000 people enrolled in treatment programs in Alabama. Those battling drug or alcohol abuse are therefore not alone in their struggle, and they have choices for treatment, ranging from public detoxification centers to private living facilities that usually offer the best chance for long-term recovery. Families should evaluate all options carefully, and look for:

• ·         A holistic approach encompassing detoxification, counseling, and behavior modification therapy
• ·         A “sober for life” philosophy rather than simple detoxification
• ·         Staff and facilities equipped to deal with the physical, emotional, and spiritual effects of abuse
• ·         Wellness programs and family outreach

Thanks to Alabama’s Gulf Coast location, the problem of drugs smuggled in from Mexico and the Caribbean will not go away soon. Thankfully, the number of drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in Alabama is growing statewide to combat it.