Idaho’s vast tracts of National Forest make it a prime destination for marijuana growers and smugglers moving drugs out of Canada. The easy availability of pot and crystal meth and a wide acceptance of social drinking combine to put rates of alcohol and drug abuse among Idaho’s young people among the highest in the United States.
In 2007, nearly 47% of Idaho’s high school seniors had used marijuana at some time in their lives, with 33% of all high school students admitting to trying marijuana. This is in direct opposition to rates of alcohol and drug dependency for Idaho residents over 25, which are among the lowest in the country. Why the discrepancy? In part, because of the targeting of drugs to young people at clubs, gyms, raves, and other places where college and high school students gather. Meth labs have proliferated all over the state even as the number of drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in Idaho dropped from 73 in 2004 to 57 in 2006.
Finding qualified drug and alcohol treatment programs in Idaho may be more difficult than in other states, due to the low number of facilities available to the 35,000 residents admitting to a dependency problem. Just 3 programs and 18 physicians are licensed to provide buprenorphine treatment for opiate addiction, while 70% of Idaho drug and alcohol treatment centers rely on local, state, or federal funding for all or part of their operating expenses. Thirteen of Idaho’s rehab centers offer residential programs; the rest provide outpatient services. Families seeking treatment programs should expand their search if the Idaho rehabilitation center in their area does not offer the sort of comprehensive treatment program required to produce long-term positive outcomes. While many rehab facilities in Idaho may have in-depth experience with treating alcoholism or marijuana addiction, the sharp rise in crystal meth and prescription drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone and anabolic steroids in Idaho may challenge a particular clinic’s staff and resources.
Idaho is not immune to club drugs like MDMA (Ecstasy), another threat most particular to people under 25. Like meth, which jumped from 8% of all admissions for substance abuse treatment in 1992 to 53% in 2005, club drugs are on the rise, and are being targeted to ever-younger age groups. Drug treatment programs in Idaho with insufficient experience in these newer drugs should be left off the final list for consideration.
One heartbreaking statistic in Idaho concerns the number of people in the 12-17 age group requiring treatment for substance abuse who are not receiving it. The rate remains well above the national average. Whether this is due to parental failure to recognize the signs of drug abuse, financial circumstances, or lack of local facilities, the fact remains that early intervention and treatment produce the best outcomes. Families should educate themselves on the signs of drug abuse, and avail themselves of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Idaho, or elsewhere if required, as soon as possible.
