Connecticut’s proximity to New York and position on the New England Pipeline for drug smuggling out of Canada means that illicit drugs are widely available statewide. Among Connecticut young people aged 18-25, the rate of dependency on alcohol or drugs ranks among the highest in the United States, with the discrepancy unfortunately continuing to climb, as seen below. Parents would be well advised to take special note of the threats facing their high school and college-age children, in the form of marijuana, club drugs like Ecstasy, alcohol, and opiates often derived from abuse of prescription drugs like Oxycontin. Admissions to drug and alcohol treatment centers in Connecticut for drug-related problems continue to climb (from 22% in 1992 to 45% of all admissions in 2006) even as alcohol-related admissions have dropped steeply (from 78% in 1992 to 50% in 2006). This does not mean that young people are drinking less, however; Connecticut found no drop at all in the number of college students binge drinking.

The explosive spread of prescription and club drugs in Connecticut puts young people disproportionately at risk, even as the number of treatment facilities in Connecticut has dropped, from 247 in 2002 to 209 in 2006. Only 41 of those facilities offered opioid-treatment programs, and only 66 offered residential treatment programs. Those seeking drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in Connecticut, therefore, would be well advised to make sure that the local public or private treatment program is both experienced and licensed in the type of treatment required for the particular addiction.

Connecticut’s internal studies on the links between drug treatment and crime show that drug offenders who receive treatment are, by wide margins, less likely to return to drug use or be re-arrested. Also, the earlier that treatment is sought, the better the chance of breaking the pattern of drug abuse and criminal behavior. Families faced with substance abuse problems should seek treatment as early as possible. Note in the chart below that Connecticut drug and alcohol treatment centers are reporting a shift in patterns of abuse, with an increasing number of patients using both drugs and alcohol. Abuse of one very often leads to abuse of other substances, so a social drinking habit or smoking a little marijuana can lead to very serious problems in relatively short order. The average age of first use for heroin in Connecticut is just 20.9 years old. Awareness and early intervention are therefore key to keeping experimental use from escalating into a full-blown drug habit.

People seeking treatment for drug and alcohol abuse in Connecticut have a choice between private non-profit facilities (179 in 2006) and private for-profit rehab centers (12). Connecticut received about $51M in federal funding in 2006 for drug treatment, and contracts its treatment programs to private facilities, which share funding. Standard treatment regimens such as detoxification followed by methadone treatment for heroin are often the norm; individuals should investigate the various programs and available rehab facilities in Connecticut to obtain an individualized program that best suits their needs.