A look at substance abuse and treatment in Delaware offers some sobering statistics. For such a small state, Delaware has a rather widespread problem with drug use, driven in part by the relocation of many drug trafficking organizations from the inner cities of New York and Pennsylvania into Delaware. This search for new customers and less law enforcement heat has contributed to a sharp rise in illicit drug use in the state, especially among its young people. The State of Delaware Profile of Drug Indicators, released in June 2008 by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, lists some eye-opening results of a survey of high school students in Delaware:

Parents in Delaware who think their child could never be a candidate for a drug and alcohol treatment program should think again.

The report shows widespread availability of marijuana, while adults and young people who hang out at Rehoboth Beach or at raves and clubs in the Wilmington area will find methamphetamine, Ecstasy, ketamine, and GHB, all relatively cheap and popular drugs for the thrill-seeking crowd. The problem is not limited to the under-25 set, however; while alcoholism in Delaware ranks below the national average, the rate of drug dependency ranks well above it.

In 2006 there were 43 drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in Delaware, serving a population of 853,000, of whom some 20,000 in 2006 reported needing but not receiving treatment for illicit drug dependence. Families faced with substance abuse problems should not count on public facilities; only five of the existing Delaware drug and alcohol treatment facilities in 2006 were government funded; the rest were either private non-profit (29) or private for-profit (11). Of these, 12 offered inpatient residential care and the rest relied on outpatient programs of various types. Most (63%) received public funding of some sort, whether local, state, or federal. Choices for care in any particular Delaware community may be limited and dependent on a shared pool of public grants, so families should carefully consider their treatment options against:

·         Levels of staffing and funding

·         Addictions treated

·         Treatment modalities: inpatient, outpatient, detoxification only, counseling only, etc.

·         Associated programs: family outreach, wellness programs

Special care should be taken in evaluating drug and alcohol treatment centers for experience in the particular type of abuse. Admissions to rehabilitation centers in Delaware for alcohol abuse have dropped steadily for several years, but admissions for cocaine, marijuana, and meth have all risen sharply. The newer problems of prescription drug abuse and club drugs means that clinics and rehab centers must be agile in recognizing and treating conditions associated with individual drugs. Meth is both highly addictive and very difficult to treat. Families should make sure that any Delaware drug treatment center they choose is capable of administering the sort of intensive, long-term treatment program required to successfully deal with the physical and emotional effects of this pernicious drug.