The Bluegrass State borders seven others, which makes it a major crossroads for drug traffickers moving illegal substances through the state for distribution elsewhere. It also ranks second in the United States as a major domestic producer of marijuana in its eastern and southeastern regions. Methamphetamine is widely available even in the most rural parts of Kentucky, all of which combines to put Kentucky into the top ten states in America for marijuana use among young people aged 12-17, and generally at or above the national average for drug dependency.

Perhaps a major contributor to this unhappy statistic is the fact that Kentucky also ranks among the top ten states in which young people have the lowest perception of risk in using marijuana at least once a month. For Kentucky families, the possibility of needing one of the state’s 312 drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers is therefore not something that could only happen to other people. A glance at the chart below should illustrate the magnitude of the problem facing Kentucky parents.

As of 2005, 34% of all Kentucky high school students had tried marijuana at least once; 10% had tried it before the age of 13. Over 19% were currently using it, in stark comparison to the 9.81% of adults who reported using marijuana during the same time period.

Statistically scary? Yes, and getting worse, as the flood of illegal drugs creeps into every corner of Kentucky. Drug and alcohol treatment centers located through the state combat the problem at every level. A somewhat higher number than in most states are licensed to treat opiate addiction (23), and 53 offer residential care, good news for those seeking more intensive treatment or total removal of the addict from his or her old lifestyle. Kentucky rehabilitation centers admitted over 23,000 people for treatment in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Unlike most states, the trends are all upward for dependencies of all types, and Kentucky’s drug and alcohol treatment facilities are reporting a trend away from admission for a single substance (such as alcohol), with patients reporting use of multiple substances.

Drug and alcohol treatment in Kentucky ranges from a variety of outpatient programs, offered by the majority of rehab centers in the state, to inpatient care of various types. Anyone seeking treatment should evaluate all programs carefully. Some 48% of Kentucky drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities receive local, state, or federal funding for their operations, which means that these facilities share a common pool of resources. Funding, staffing, facilities, and experience will therefore vary among these clinics and treatment centers, and all patients should determine, as well as they can in advance, whether any particular local program or Kentucky rehabilitation center offers the level of services required for their particular problem.